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.

More Connecticut Democrat Socialist Bills On Tap. Distorted Voting. A Bill Of Rights?

As the march to the quintessential Socialist state continues in Connecticut, here are a few more observations on bills and laws that are currently being entertained by the Connecticut Democrat Party in Hartford this year.  Just when you thought it could not get any worse for Connecticut taxpayers it most certainly has with the incredible array of incoherent and illogical Democrat based contemplated bills that normally are rammed down the throats of Connecticut taxpayers.  It is difficult to even comprehend the sheer amount of laws that have been passed over the past 34 years which have taken away personal freedoms and embraced a Socialistic way of life for the state.  Again, this year is no exception except with respect to the audacious and brazen way they are presented by the Connecticut Democrat Party.

Voting and apparently more voting for the Connecticut Democrat Party seem to the focus of several bills currently considered in Hartford.  HB 5714 would allow for “incarcerated individuals to become electors and to vote”.  A new amendment to the state constitution (which is largely ignored by the Connecticut Democrat Party) through HJ-19 that would allow 16 year olds to vote.  Proposed Bill 5721 would allow "That Title 9 of the General Statutes be amended to provide for ten days of voting prior to the day of election, and establish the hours of voting during such ten days.  HB 5704 calls for mandatory voting by all registered voters or face the wrath of its government by requiring “a valid reason or be fined for not responding” when presented with a state government inquest.  HB 5712 would study the complexities of Ranked Choice Voting which in my opinion destroys your vote in an election.  Ranked choice voting is a complex system of forcing voters to rank all candidates in an election and eliminates plurality elections.  If a candidate does not get over 50% of the vote in this type of election then the lowest "ranked" candidate drops off the ballot and a second election takes place.  In that round if again no candidate gets over 50% of the vote, a third ballot takes place, etc.  How is this logical?  And how much will this now cost taxpayers?  How does this "help" Democracy?  There truly is a simple solution to our elections.  It is showing a photo ID to vote on an assigned election day with only voters that have registered in a prescribed time period prior to the election (not the same day) and allow one vote only for one candidate for an office, and more than one candidate up to the legal amount for elections that involve Town Councils, Board of Educations, and offices of that nature.  Strict Absentee voter guidelines must be followed.  Seems simple doesn't it? These bills turn voting into more incoherent Democrat Party gibberish.

English, apparently at one time the unified language of our country and its states, is now insignificant.  New House Bill 6663, forced on the state by Governor Ned Lamont is a "Bill of Rights" for non-English speaking parents in the state and also allows for, "The right of an English learner student to attend a public school in the state regardless of such student's immigration status or the immigration status of such student's parent or guardian;" and also "The right of a parent or guardian of an English learner student to enroll such student in a public school without being required to submit immigration documentation, including, but not limited to, a Social Security number, visa documentation or proof of citizenship;". In reading this bill there is no mention whatsoever of the non-English speaking student being required to learn English so that they are able to speak the language as well as their native language.  I wonder how much this will cost Connecticut Taxpayers to hire all of these new translators for Connecticut schools?  I thought the English language is the foundation of our country?  My grandparents when they legally immigrated to our country many years ago were forced to learn the language to assimilate into their new country.  Why is it so different in 2023?  What has changed to allow for this? 

I really wonder what happened to the "rights" of the Connecticut Taxpayers who are forced to accept these socialistic based rules year-in and year-out, and laws that redefine to the Democrat Party's liking and approval as to what can and can not be allowed in the state.  The proposals this year make a complete mockery of the voting process and further erode any sense of respect or belief that we have a legal and coherent state government.  How can one believe in this type of government?  A state government that continues to cater to a ruling political elite who really now seems to only be concerned with their deadening grip on power and their corrupted political system.  It continues to ruin Connecticut.  It is unchecked.  This legislative session has shown the utter disregard its elected officials have on the legal citizens of the state.  And it is 1776 all over again.