Opinion
New Britain Progressive Opinion Page
On this page, you will find Op-Ed pieces, news analysis and other opinion in which the authors seek to inform on topics of interest to the New Britain community. If you would like to send commentary for consideration, please email it to [email protected].
Spotted Lanternflies: Working Together to Stop a Growing Threat to New Britain’s Trees
By Carol S. Austad, Ph.D The spotted lanternfly is no longer someone else’s problem. It has arrived in New Britain. Some residents are beginning to see increasing numbers of these invasive insects in their neighborhoods. Originally introduced into the United States from Asia, the spotted lanternfly has spread rapidly throughout the Northeast, including Connecticut. While […]
Allen Street Area Activists Share Message on Taxpayer Flooding Mitigation Reimbursements
To: Our Neighborhood Flooding, Sanitary Back-Up and Break VictimsConcerned Taxpayers and ResidentsCity, State, and Federal Officials As Mayor Sanchez recently noted, “Our administration has been clear from the beginning: Taxpayers should not be forced to bear the financial consequences of the actions of former public officials.” Former Mayor Stewart failed to prioritize, fully fund, and […]
Letter to Editor – Daytime Fireworks Yesterday Traumatizing to New Britain Veteran(s)
By Molly Felth Dear New Britain Progressive, Thanks for the work that you do! I write on behalf of my Iraq War veteran partner. You may know that yesterday, July 5th, New Britain Parks and Rec discharged all the fireworks they were going to use on July 4th, during the day, at Walnut Hill Park […]
Reader: New Britain opposed its urban highways—and it can do it again
By Thomas Broderick During the 1950s, 60s, and 70s the state of Connecticut disastrously gutted its cities by ramming urban freeways through their cores. Interstate 91 and Interstate 84 in Hartford, Interstate 95 (originally known as the Connecticut Turnpike) and Route 8 in Bridgeport, and Interstate 95 and the Oak Street Connector in New Haven […]
Reader: The Trillion Dollar Military Budget will Hurt Us All
By Joseph Wasserman Our nation must oppose the trillion dollar military budget proposed by the Trump administration. We do not need a military budget bigger than the next ten military powers put together . We do not need to be exporting weapons all around the world, engaging in endless wars and we not need the […]
How did we get here? – A Truck Stop Is the Wrong Vision for Batterson Park’s Future
By Neil P. Connors – Batterson Park Conservancy For more than a decade, volunteers, advocates, neighbors, and public officials have worked to bring Batterson Park back from the brink. Through cleanup efforts, community organizing, fundraising, and countless hours of volunteer work, people never gave up on the idea that this remarkable regional resource could once […]
Nuclear Weapons Deliver No Security, Only the Promise of Annihilation
By Joe Wasserman Members of Back from the Brink CT carried a poster into the Hartford office of Senator Chris Murphy on April 28th . The poster said the “UN Secretary General says Nuclear weapons deliver no security, only the promise of annihilation – Senator Murphy please cosponsor S. Res 323.” Senate Resolution 323 calls […]
Denigrating New Britain School Superintendent is Counter Productive
In her state of the city address 2021 the then mayor Erin Stewart stated: “What I will not do is blindly throw additional tax dollars into a massive bureaucracy that is failing our students” (New 8, March 18, 2021). In response, state representative and current mayor, Bobby Sanchez, said, “There is one obvious solution here […]
Racial Justice Coalition Questions Sanchez Budget Proposal
By the New Britain Racial Justice Coalition, The New Britain Racial Justice Coalition (NBRJC) is raising serious concerns about Mayor Bobby Sanchez’s proposed FY27 budget, stating clearly that it reduces overall education funding while failing to meaningfully invest in libraries and community services. Despite public claims of increased support for schools, the full budget shows […]