The Partisan "Connecticut CEO Program"

 If you run a business in Connecticut, you face a great deal of issues on a daily basis, including, but not limited to, sales of your product or service, a massive and oppressive state bureaucracy, high state and local taxes, ineffective, arrogant, (or functionally incompetent) elected officials, employee retention, and a whole lot more.  Connecticut Democrat Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas recently came up with some more bureaucracy for the business owners and managers to deal with in a "voluntary" program that in the opinion of many will become mandatory at some in the future. It is the new "Non-Partisan Civically-Engaged CEO  Program".

According to the state's website (https://portal.ct.gov/sots/education/outreach/ceo-pledge), this is what is stated:  "Taking the Pledge Helps You:"

Recruit younger employees who have been shown to care about companies’ civic health. 

Boost employee morale by showing your employees that you care about their lives outside of the workplace.

Build partnerships by showing you’re an active member of the community.

Provide marketing opportunities and positive media attention for your business.

Bring people together regardless of political party affiliations.

Improve the community around you! 

The Pledge:

Email our non-partisan “Civics 101” document to staff and/or customers

Note dates of elections in the office and/or in newsletters

Give employees time off to vote on Election Days (if schedules don’t allow before or after-hours voting)

Announce your commitment to civic engagement via email and social media

Give employees time to volunteer in the community each year

Email or post a polling place look-up tool for employees

Once you take the pledge, you’ll receive access to our CEO Toolkit, including:

Our “Civics 101” document

Sample social media posts for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

A sample announcement for an email blast

A C.E.O. badge for your email signature and/or website

A printable certificate from the Office of the Secretary of the State certifying your exemplary commitment to civic engagement

After reading this unbelievable and insulting "Pledge" I thought this really can't believe this is a real state run program that Connecticut Taxpayers must pay for.  Nor can it be a real program that companies would want to take on given the massive amount of real business issues that they face daily trying to survive in the horrific economy of Connecticut given its high taxes, massive layers of regulatory bureaucracy, poor infrastructure, unchecked crime, net migration of population out of the state, trying to make a profit and stay open and many (many) more problems.  

From reading this I guess the state does not want you to hire older workers for your business but rather "Recruit younger employees who have been shown to care about companies’ civic health."  How does a business owner know these younger employees have been shown to care?  Are older, (perhaps Caucasian) workers uncaring, by definition? Are they tested beforehand?  Does the Secretary of State's office approve them? Are older workers no longer able to care anymore?  Will older workers now lose their jobs at a certain age because their somehow no longer "care"? 

Why must businesses now be forced to: "Give employees time off to vote on Election Days (if schedules don’t allow before or after-hours voting)"?  I thought that is why the state has mail in voting, absentee voting and all sorts of other awesome and user-friendly options, so that one does not have to waste time actually going to formally vote in person on election day?  

How does a business "Bring people together regardless of political party affiliations."?  Is there now a system to do this in a state like Connecticut that has unchecked Democrat Party rule?  Especially when reading their "Non-Partisan Civics 101" document that (https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SOTS/Education/Civics_101/SoTS-Civic-Education-Flyer_2-sided_color_032423.pdf) has a quote from the late Democrat John Lewis:  "The vote is precious. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have.

in a democratic society, and we must use it. — John Lewis, Congressman + Civil Rights Activist". Why then is there not a quote from a Republican on the flyer also to prove that it is "Non-Partisan"?  Would this same kind of bureaucratic civic zeal be exhibited for a worker going out to campaign at a Vivek Ramaswamy rally? I recommend everyone read this flyer, it is an eye opener to see how "Non-partisan" it really is.

This program is totally unnecessary, if not flat out insulting, pandering, and demeaning.  It is a waste of Connecticut Taxpayers monies.  It is a waste of time for businesses to join.  This program again promotes the rule of the Ned Lamont regime in the state, once again to the deafening silence of the state GOP.  If Connecticut Taxpayers were not beaten up by their "representative" government on a daily basis they could be much more "civically engaged".   If their "vote" actually counted they would go and vote each election.  If they were not taxed to death and forced to support over $100 billion dollars in short and long term debt along with unfunded liabilities they would "volunteer" more in their communities.  But Connecticut is a state where only the politically connected survive.