I’ve never been to Connecticut, but it appears that the state is filled with people who have an unusually high tolerance for scandal.
After all, here we have a governor — pardon me, ex-governor — who had prominent state contractors pay for refurbishments to his lake-front cottage. He not only lied about it; he’s under a federal criminal investigation. This scandal follows a series of fines Rowland had to pay for violating state ethics codes, including a flap in which he received special favors from a state contractor who offered him dirt-cheap rent on vacation homes.
Worse, his administration has featured a former deputy chief of staff who pled guilty to accepting cash and gold coins (which he buried in his backyard) in exchange for influencing state contracts, a former commissioner of public works accepting gifts from people seeking state work, and a former state treasurer who pled guilty to racketeering and money laundering.
And yet, state residents aren’t terribly disturbed.
A University of Connecticut poll conducted after Monday’s resignation speech showed 47 percent of Connecticut residents had positive opinion of Rowland’s 9 1/2 years in office, while 51 percent had a negative view.
Those are one forgiving group of people. I guess his resignation speech went over well.