Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Protest over Bridgeport Jail Thwarts State Plan

You may have heard today that a group of state legislators and citizens nearly stormed Gov. Jodi Rell's office in protest of a proposed juvenile detention center to be constructed in Bridgeport. Citing unwanted blight and a stack of other state-sponsored projects (like other prisons and the garbage-to-energy power plant), this group has effectively thrown a wrench in the works. After receiving the group's letter, Gov. Rell decided to hold off on the decision for another month. The state has spent $1 million already in cleaning up and developing the 2.75 acres located in Bridgeport. The state is prepared to spend $15 million on the project. It is utterly surprising that this group would be opposed to such a project, as construction workers and state employees would be needed to build and staff the building. This move alone would provide a needed boost to Bridgeport to allow for the increased taxes to be used for other issues in what is Connecticut's largest city. While spending should be trimmed so as to remedy the budget problem, it is surprising that Democratic leaders in the General Assembly would be opposed to a job-creating, development plan.

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