“Citizens are being punished by this.”

August 17, 2017

(I commend Wallingford resident Peggy Embardo for sharing her story in a letter published below in the Meriden Record-Journal.  How is the governor’s devastating Executive Order impacting YOUR life? Tell me your story at [email protected]. Sign the petition at http://ctsenrepublic.wpengine.com/2017/07/petition-tell-ct-lawmakers-to-pass-a-budget/#.WZM8doKotjo)

Citizens who don’t count

Editor:

An article published in the Connecticut Mirror yesterday announcing increased bus service to UConn had Gov. Malloy taking credit for keeping the parks and beaches open this summer in spite of the ongoing budget crisis.

“We chose a path that didn’t punish the citizenry for the inability of their government to come to grips with very hard decisions that have to be made,” Malloy said.

My son has a disability and he is a citizen.

I am his mother and I’m a citizen too.

So are the dedicated and underpaid individuals who work at his day program.

We are all being punished this summer because there is no budget.

His day program, which provides services for adults with disabilities, is closing for furlough days each month.

It doesn’t really help any of us that he is free to go to the beach this summer.

I still have to work and if he is home, I can’t work.

The people who care for him are forced to take days off without pay.

And if we aren’t working, our paychecks (and our state tax contributions) are smaller.

Citizens are being punished by this.

We just aren’t citizens who count in the governor’s eyes.

–          Peggy Embardo, Wallingford