Connecticut’s a great state but somehow we’ve allowed ourselves to end up on the wrong end of too many lists in recent years. Connecticut is now ranked as one of the worst to retire in, the most expensive to pay taxes, buy gasoline and electricity, and do business. Getting back on top means pursuing a different public policy direction than the current one. To his credit, Governor Dan Malloy has taken some modest steps toward reform both in terms of education and liquor laws in this Legislative Session.

The challenges he faces there, as well as his shameful acquiescence to the entrenched public sector unions on personal care attendants and day care providers, show just how difficult it can be to be a reformer – even though reform is what is needed. I wrote about this for this week’s op-ed column at CT News Junkie:

The rhetoric from the teachers’ unions has flipped since January after they realized that Malloy might not trade reforms for dramatically more money. The resistance seems quite curious to the numerous private-sector employees for whom performance evaluations are the basis of pay raises, bonuses, promotions, or alternatively, being fired. The debate continues nonetheless.

Read the full piece at CT News Junkie.