Being Too Careful

Only in Connecticut....what fools we all are for allowing the idiots in Government rule our every breath.
Conservatives speak of a "Loss of Liberty" if the State becomes too powerfull. This is just another glaring example of what they mean.
I would fire the DOT commisioner for allowing this absurdity to take place.

What shame that an act of kindness is squelched! I agree with the previous comment that suggests that people are losing their freedom from an over involved government. There has always been an element of risk taking in living life. The boy scouts should be allowed to continue their kind service to motorists. What message are the boy scouts getting about our government when they aren't allowed to do a service for the community? What is this really all about?

Shows the simple minded people in charge. We should clean house starting with our so called legislators and then the commissioners and all their deputies and then an all out reduction in people sleeping in state trucks and offices. The scouts are promoting safety and some big wig (in his mind) rules it's a safety hazard. Hopefuly some of the clowns in Hartford will step in and do some good for a change

Perhaps the Commissioner for the well run (down) D.O.T. needs a time-out. If there is a "perceived" safety concern, where is the statistical evidence demonstrated in a 25 year-long track record? Where is the missing body of evidence to support such a safety-related concern (imaginary or otherwise)?
This ruling appears inconsistent, arbitrary and runs diametrically counter to the worthwhile benefits generated thru such good works.
The Commissioner and the (dysfunctional) D.O.T. continue in their concerted efforts to fail the people of Connecticut. Full accountability along with a wide stream of functional replacements is desperately needed. Here is another case where political appointments (kickback) trumps managerial and professional expertise. Another case where we, the citizens, pay a dear price for incompetence.

Right on, Courant Editorial Board.

You got this one 100% correct.

Too much government interference where it is definitely not needed. The Boy Scouts should be allowed to run the program--I have personally benefitted from it in other states and have no doubt this Troop does an excellent job.

Who have you added to your Editorial Board? I sense a recent surge of common sense within a couple of your editorials!

Reread the editorial the DOT does not want the scouts there overnight! They can still set up during the day Why? Safety. Have any of you been to a secluded rest area in the middle of the night, even one that is well used???? Trust me...not the safest place to be.

Belinda wrote:

Reread the editorial the DOT does not want the scouts there overnight! They can still set up during the day Why? Safety. Have any of you been to a secluded rest area in the middle of the night, even one that is well used???? Trust me...not the safest place to be.

Um, I did read the editorial. Thanks for the tip.

The DOT does not want the Scouts there at night. So, that would require not only taking down and setting up tents tables chairs supplies and everything else every day, they must also be stored overnight.

I don't know about you, Belinda, but I would find it extremely difficult to have to do set up and take down of this equipment for a three or four day run.

Having seen the program in action more than once, day and night, there is nothing wrong with what these Scouts do.

If anything, having the Scouts at these locations DISCOURAGES bad behavior!!!

So, Belinda, please pull your head out of that thing behind you.

The DOT is wrong; the Courant's Editorial Board is right; and if you could actually think about it, instead of knee-jerking your reaction, you would realize having the Scouts at these locations overnight during a holiday probably SAVES people from being robbed or troubled by nefarious characters.

They don't call this the Nanny State for nothing.

In fact you have to pay. Taxed moreso that almost any other state.

The state of Connecticut is yet again picking on kids--what they do best. Don't you all remember the new driving restrictions for teens that went into effect yesterday or the day before? That was over a handful of accidents teens were involved with. There were never any incidences at these coffee stops. Why is the commissioner even suggesting this? This just just another extension of that curfew. All teenage drivers now have an unconstitutional curfew, and now the gutless little fascists want to expand it. This is how these Nazi scumbags work--give them an inch and they'll take a mile. Our forefathers warned us about this, and all the people could do is laugh. Well, here we are.

We have to demand that Rell get rid of this disrespectful, constitution-hating little weasel. Either that, or kiss your liberties away for good.

Yet another nail in the coffin of this once great country. The wussification continues. File this next to the story about the kids who built a baseball field on an abandoned lot and were shut down by the town

Oh, and scouts: Don't feel bad about this, don't be disappointed and don't be upset. Get angry. The basic principal of liberty is the government should keep their hands and influence out of your life, unless there is ample evidence that something needs intervention or regulation by the government.

This is not one of those times and the government is way, way out of line with this. There were no incidences to warrant government intervention with your coffee stops.

Instead of serving coffee this holiday weekend, you should apply for permits to demonstrate, and make signs denouncing this idiot commissioner and his totalitarian mentality that is epidemic in this "government."

This is why we're called the nanny state. I hate to think what this state is going to be like when you're adults.

Belinda wrote:

Reread the editorial the DOT does not want the scouts there overnight! They can still set up during the day Why? Safety. Have any of you been to a secluded rest area in the middle of the night, even one that is well used???? Trust me...not the safest place to be.

No? Have any examples? What? People getting hit by cars? Kidnapped? Robbed? Offered booze or drugs? What? What paper are you reading, because I can't recall any major incident of anything happening at a rest stop.

The DOT "Commissioner" can't cite any specific threats or incidences. Can you?

And so what if they are dangerous? Soup kitchens aren't exactly safe with mentally ill people and people desperate for money, nor are the areas they're in. So scouts should be banned from volunteering at those because of safety reasons too?

The world is an unsafe place. You think you can legislate safety? Oh yeah, this is Connecticut--you most likely do.

Let's see how much more safe our teens will be with their new little regulations.

And I haven't talked to a scout in a while, but I'm guessing there will be an adult or two there with them.

And the scouts were gtoing to be there with their scout leaders. We're not talking about a bunch of 12 yr olds out there alone.

Pathetic bureaucrats at work. Amazing that this was even allowed to happen.

I think this is taking it to far, and probably set a bad example that these Scouts will remember for the rest of their days (at least as a scout).

Konnecticut_Better_Yet wrote:

The state of Connecticut is yet again picking on kids--what they do best. Don't you all remember the new driving restrictions for teens that went into effect yesterday or the day before? That was over a handful of accidents teens were involved with. There were never any incidences at these coffee stops. Why is the commissioner even suggesting this? This just just another extension of that curfew. All teenage drivers now have an unconstitutional curfew, and now the gutless little fascists want to expand it. This is how these Nazi scumbags work--give them an inch and they'll take a mile. Our forefathers warned us about this, and all the people could do is laugh. Well, here we are.
We have to demand that Rell get rid of this disrespectful, constitution-hating little weasel. Either that, or kiss your liberties away for good.

Sad how this is the way it looks. I really don't think it was meant to look or feel this way. Just good intentions taken to far.

Thomas Beatty wrote:

I think this is taking it to far, and probably set a bad example that these Scouts will remember for the rest of their days (at least as a scout).

Better yet, I wonder if the Scouts will remember how their own leaders have handled this? Anyone remember the New London Day article where a scout representative called a DOT staff person a "nimrod" and a "scrooge?" Some example that sets, considering it is a violation of Scout Law, the very law that scout's are expected to obey. Here's Scout law, right from their website, and for what it's worth, most of you have set a poor example in your posts here:
Scout Law - A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty,brave, clean, and reverent.

I think calling the state beaurocrat a pappa uniform sierra sierra yankee would have been better.

joke. actually thats a great point. TB

but he's still what I mentioned above.
Whats so sad is that society is so frightened of exposing any children to any risk that they also risk NOT exposing the kids to other great things.

The risk in the latter choice is not immediate death, but rather a slow death by boredom.

I hear the scouts dont teach marksmanship anymore either. Even though it is one of the best ways to develop discipline and concentration that I know of. Perhaps if we used a few more bullets and baseballs (see courant story about scrooges who took a home made ball field away from kids) we might use a bit less ritalin.

Belinda wrote:

Reread the editorial the DOT does not want the scouts there overnight! They can still set up during the day Why? Safety. Have any of you been to a secluded rest area in the middle of the night, even one that is well used???? Trust me...not the safest place to be.

The DOT office may be a more dangerous place. Poor judgment and wasted funds may tackle you at any moment.