Why is Connecticut doing better than New Jersey? (Opinion)

What if I told you that Connecticut is doing a better job of both opening up the economy and keeping the virus down than New Jersey?

Actually it's Senator Declan O'Scanlon who's making the statement in a release where he cites a side-by-side comparison of six states, including New York and New Jersey. From the release comparing New Jersey to Connecticut.

"New Jersey’s unemployment rate is 16.6% (USDOL July report). NJ’s projected to have an 18% revenue decline for FY21 and has as a rate of transmission of 1.1. Alternatively, Connecticut, which has been open at 50% capacity for indoor dining and gyms for months, had a 9.8% unemployment rate, a projected 11% revenue decline for FY21, and a .91 rate of transmission. Versus Connecticut NJ has a 69% higher unemployment rate and a 64% higher revenue shortfall."

Why is Connecticut able to do what New Jersey cannot? O'Scanlon came on my show on Monday night to talk to me about it:

"Because our governor has decided ... his timid, slow-roll reopening is the way to go. And I can't tell you what the motivation is about... I think it's, it's arrogance and competence, or incompetence that's the problem. I think that the folks making the decisions simply aren't doing their homework."

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Was does the senator think about the idea of mail in voting?

"I think that there's absolutely a way for us to do in-person voting," O'Scanlon said on my show. "You can wait on line at Home Depot and touch the screen at Home Depot and we don't have a massive rate of spread. I think we could do in-person voting."

"When does the Senator think we'll be able to reopen?

"We don't need the governor's brain trust to reinvent the wheel. They just need to do what Connecticut is doing. They need to do what Rhode Island is doing and do it tomorrow. Because by Thursday, you're going to lose dozens, if not hundreds more of these businesses will throw in the towel without that extra capacity... I am thinking that, with the pressure we're exerting now, it may take a week or two to percolate but then we'll see announcements."

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise. Any opinions expressed are Steve's own. Steve Trevelise is on New Jersey 101.5 Monday-Thursday from 7pm-11pm. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.

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