Walk 2023: Day Two
From Manchester Town Hall to a town hall discussion, day two of the Walk Across Connecticut was another action-packed one. Nearly 20 miles from Manchester down to Berlin.
This is a short recap of my second day walking across our state:
Staring down a 20 mile day, I needed to kick off the day early and hit the road as the sun rose. I met Julie who owned a local restaurant and now gives back to her community by helping out as a crossing guard. Then, I ran into Pastor Eric who found me on the route. He’s a great community leader in Norwich. I got myself a McMuffin to eat on the road for breakfast. Just to keep you fully up to speed on what it’s like to walk across Connecticut!
One thing I love about my annual walk is that it gives me the chance to meet people who I might not otherwise hear from— I meet people who agree with me, and I meet people who don’t. This morning I met Dave while he was out walking his dog, Remy. He thinks we are spending too much money in Ukraine and we should try to get along with Russia. I disagreed but we had a polite, civil conversation. Imagine that?
Later, I stopped into Anna’s Restaurant in East Hartford where I met Dave and Dennis. They're brothers who grew up in the north end of Hartford. Moderate Democrats, they like Joe Biden because he’s a regular guy. As Armenian-Americans, they shared their concerns about the conflict in Armenia.
A bit further down the road, State Senator Saud Anwar came out and walked with me through town. We talked about Israel, Gaza, and also the way the big health care companies are driving up the cost of care here.
After making my way through downtown Hartford and its midday buzz, I met up with members of 32BJ - a local branch of the SEIU labor union - to hear what they’re working on and discuss together how I can support their fight.
I stopped for a great, quick lunch at ABC Pizza and then said hello to the firefighters next door at Engine 15 Ladder 2. I know how hard they work for our community, and it was a pleasure to get to say hi!
Making my way through my own neighborhood, I kept hearing a recurring theme: we have a housing crisis in America. I heard how difficult it is to find stable, affordable housing from a young man who’s been experiencing homelessness for two years. I heard from an elderly woman who pays more than half her fixed Social Security Income for a room in a boarding house. This is untenable, and it’s about time we started exploring bigger, bolder solutions to take on this crisis.
As I made my way through Newington, I had to stop by The Eye Opener, a store I used to visit all the time as a kid to buy baseball cards. It was my favorite place, and I’m so glad it’s still here with the same ownership! It’s a true institution and the chance to stop by is just another reason I’m so grateful to be able to walk across the state every year.
In the afternoon, I got a surprise. My route happened to take me by the house of my former outreach staffer, Emily, her husband John, and their newborn baby Phoebe! They walked with me for a while and we caught up.
This year’s walk has required a lot more multitasking than usual. Today, I was on the phone trying to build bipartisan support for a proposal to increase funding for FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program. As Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, I’m also focused on making sure our Jewish community at home is protected from a potential rise in anti-Semitic threats.
By the end of the day, a small win. My colleagues Senator Katie Britt of Alabama, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, and I released a strong, bipartisan statement calling for increased funding for this vital program.
I say it all the time - this is my favorite week of the year. I grew up in Connecticut and I love this state, but I fall in love with it again and again, year after year walking from one end to the other.
It’s easy to believe that what dominates the headlines and the cable news shows is all that matters, but this walk is a real grounding exercise that reminds me the issues most people care about are evergreen: making the money they earn go a little further, sending their kids to good schools, and making their communities safer for them and their families. There are always other issues I hear about, but as I continue on my seventh walk I’m struck by how often these topics recur.
It’s a reminder for me to focus on helping people with those things— helping families cut costs, stay safe, and make sure their kids have better opportunities than they had for themselves. Tonight at my town hall in Berlin, I heard about all those things, and got to answer important questions about the crisis in Israel and what we in Congress are doing about it.
Didn’t quite make it as far as I wanted today, but don’t worry I’ll be starting right where I left off tomorrow– no cheating! Grateful to everyone I met along the way for another exciting day walking across the state. Tomorrow is day three; hope to see you on the road!
You're a tremendous asset for your state and also for our democracy. I do wish that there were more like you, in terms of work ethic and such, on both sides of the aisle. Thanks, Senator!
Super Cool Senator! Very GIS, so get the free ArcGIS.com apps for your phone and post sattelite maps. Your walks highlight zoning and regional planning for certain.