On Monday, I was traveling on Rt. 68  in Prospect around 12:30 p.m. when an uncommon site caught my eye: a black man, young, pushing a shopping cart filled with clear plastic bags of cans. I thought it unusual that he was pushing it on Rt 68, but I have seen many people over the years pushing carts full of discarded items in the cities. I thought it a bit out of the ordinary given the locale.

Then, three hour later I was driving down Jarvis Street in Cheshire when my eyes caught a familiar site: the man with the cart AGAIN!!. I saw he was struggling to push it up Jarvis Street hill. I thought to myself, what is going on with this person in his life? Is he without a job and/or a home. I wondered if he would be injured if he slipped going up the hill, which is very steep in sections. I wondered if someone would accidentally hit him seeing there are no sidewalks on Jarvis Street.

Since it was trash pickup day in our area, I wondered how many cans he had found. I did not stop to talk to him because I felt really sad. Of course, I wondered how many people in Cheshire had called about this person. Well, I contacted the police department and stated that I was worried something might happen to this man with the cart because he was, at times, meandering into the middle of the road in his struggle to push his overloaded cart.

The police told me there was little they could do. I told them, that was correct. No law was being broken, but maybe an officer could go by and redirect the man with the cart to a safer street. Boy, what a difference a few years makes!!! There is hope for this town!! Could you imagine this scene 10 or 12 years ago here? I know I would have gotten a different response. I know it.

Living in a community such as Cheshire, one does not see a sight like that hardly ever, if at all. To me, it was a reminder of just how hard of a struggle it is getting for people to make ends meet. And don’t think it can’t happen to you. It can. A stroke, a car accident, a sudden illness, and guess what, it is all over!!

I wondered why things in this state are getting this bad. Connecticut used to be one of the wealthiest states in the country. Not anymore. Even in our home, we are going to have to sell our house to be able to balance out the high cost of sending three children to college at the same time. And, there is still one more in a few years!!

I go out and try to get additional work, and boy is it tough. But at least now, the government has stopped playing the out of control gas and oil price game for a while. You see, the government can’t allow high energy costs, coupled with very few jobs to go on at the same time. They are just asking for trouble. So, the government all of a sudden has dropped energy prices and by some miracle, the dollar is rebounding against the Euro!! This situation the government can control. The government will allow things to happen, push people right to the edge, and then at the last minute, retract. The high energy prices they can control, the job situation, they cannot. So, deal with the “problem” you can “fix.”  Get it?

It is really depressing. And then what makes it worse is this town blowing money on garbage–Artificial turf, this pavement management system that they need to scrap now, Are they kidding. You need a software program to tell you when to pave your roads.

 As I said several posts back when I ran a story on the Pavement Management System–want to see if the road needs paving? Use the two instruments on your face, located to  the left and right of your nose!!! Grow up and stop it!!

And then there was this pathetic comment on someone elses blog about people in prison being “stupid.” Oh, I saw that one. I got a call from a friend who told me to read it.  Well, that is really too bad that someone thinks like that.

 I remember in the early 80′s when I was working at the Bridgeport Post there was a story about a man named “Vic.” Now I knew “Vic” and his family. This man, emigrated from Norway, had five children, all boys. They lived in a nice Fairfield County town. They had a big house and  a big yard.

I used to go over there quite a bit and hang out with the kids. They treated me like I was one of the family and I will never forget it. Things were going well for “Vic” He was a salesman and earned a good living. His wife stayed home with the kids.

Then one day, things fell apart. “Vic” lost his job and had a hard time finding work at the same salary he was making. “Vic” was getting up there–he was in his late 40′s and finding it tough. What made it worse was the “pressure” “Vic” felt to earn a man’s wage. His mother in law did not make it any better. She would belittle him in front of his family.

Well, one day, “Vic” snapped. He took a 38 revolver and robbed a bank in a small Western Connecticut town. “Vic” was the most gentle man I ever met. I wondered what would drive him to do something as desparate as this. That was it–desparation, humiliation, despair. “Vic” was arrested by the bank security guard who was something like 75 years old for God’s sake!! “Vic” wasn’t  a hardened criminal. In fact, “Vic” never even had a parking ticket in the twenty some odd years he had lived in this country!!

It didn’t matter though. The prosecutors had a field day with this poor man. He ended up in Federal Prison in Danbury for several years. His family was devastated. You can’t imagine how bad this tore up this gentle, loving family. I know they NEVER recovered from it–EVER!! To this day.

“Vic” is still alive. His wife and oldest son have long since passed away from cancer. You know, it probably was the stress and humiliation of his prison stay. So one man, torn apart by frustration, anger and humiliation, has a life ruined. Was “Vic” stupid? Or does every person have a breaking point? Getting up every day not knowing how you will make ends meet. Hearing someone you love belittle your manhood. Month after month. Bills mounting. Think about it.

Now I know some of you will say, “oh he just should have gotten any old job.” Ok. Armchair quarterback. Whatever.

I have received some feedback about these YouTube videos on your “Constitutional Rights” when it comes to the Police. This was not meant to be a bashing of the Police at all. These videos are meant for all of you, civilians and police alike, to learn and discuss. We do need the police, they are our first line of protection. All I am saying is use your good judgement when dealing with law enforcement. Take it one step at a time.

And while we are on this subject, someone asked if our state and our government has a constitutional right to provide for our welfare, i.e., jobs, healthcare.

Click here to read a good article on “what the Constitution does not say.”