The new year has always been a time to take stock, to look back on where we’ve been and ahead at where we’re heading. It’s long been a time of hope and of resolutions aimed at making the new year better than the last.
Ah, those were the days.
This time around, we launch 2013 with a backlog of problems that won’t go away and little reason to expect improvement:
• There’s Congress barely avoiding an economic meltdown with a stop-gap deal on the fiscal cliff. Even the debt-ridden Europeans are laughing at us. The new Congress will start its term fighting over the debt ceiling, which we’ve hit yet again. And two months from now, we’ll be again at the precipice of draconian budget cuts as both political parties position themselves for the next election cycle with little regard for what’s right for the nation. The House leadership even refused to allow a vote on relief funds for those hit hardest by Superstorm Sandy.
• On the state level, even after Governor Malloy’s rescissions and a special legislative session, the state is still bleeding red ink. Unemployment is a full percentage point above the national average. We’ve recovered just a quarter of the jobs lost in the Great Recession. And new data show Connecticut among the states with the greatest outward migration as residents flee to warmer, cheaper states with better economies.
• Ahead lies a legislative session in which a two-year budget needs to shed billions — not millions — to be in balance. Even if Malloy keeps his promise not to raise state taxes, the necessary cuts will force others to raise taxes. Municipal governments, buffered from the economic realities for years, seem destined to take a hit. And that likely means higher property taxes all around.
• The news cycle keeps bringing fresh concerns. The Newtown tragedy leaves us questioning both our humanity and the sanity of our gun laws. Hillary Clinton’s concussion has led to a blood clot, not a great thing for someone who wants to be president. The Big East Conference has imploded. There’s a mini-scandal over state red tape that convinced a business not to expand to Connecticut. Malloy has named a crony with no judicial experience to the state’s highest court. And there’s a pair of for-profit business schools slamming their doors on students with virtually no notice.
Yet as bleak as the outlook appears this first week in January, the sun will come up tomorrow (with apologies to the musical Annie).
Here in America, we have a long history of muddling through. Our standard mode of operation has long been to ignore problems until they become critical. Well, that should mean 2013 is one of those watershed moments when we are forced into action and settle some important issues.
If we adopt that glass-half-full position, then 2013 becomes a great time to make resolutions that include getting involved in shaping those big decisions.
Tell your member of Congress, your state representative, the CBIA, your chamber of commerce, your City Hall, exactly what you think needs to be done. Don’t sit silent on the sidelines.
And while you’re at it, don’t be quiet about what your business needs to succeed. Look into those new state training and investment programs. Get smarter about social media as well as traditional media and what they can do to promote your business.
This can turn out to be a better year, but only if we meet it half way.
