I am fiscially conservative - and my definition of that is - when I expend revenue it must go to something I get a return on. It also means acting ethically and responsibly with the money of the people of the United States.

It's a misconception that "fiscially conservative" equals "no social spending at all". I see social spending as an investment and I demand to see a return on investment. If there is no return, there is no spending - programs should do quantifiable good.

I am willing to pay for free college - for students who take college seriously. Those who do not succeed should be quickly removed from classes and pushed into vocational programs. ( I know a load of very well-to-do plumbers, landscapers, and electricians. )

I am willing to support SNAP/Rent subsidy.

I am not willing to support no-strings-attached SNAP/Rent subsidy for healthy people capable of working.

I believe laziness is real and should not be subsidized.

I do not believe people who are of working age and are "out of the workforce" should be excluded from unemployment numbers.

I believe teachers should be paid more, and pre-k/childcare should be heavily subsidized.

I believe tax excessive loopholes for corporations are irresponsible.

I support a global (worldwide) minimum corporate tax.

I am very willing to spend on infrastructure and reliable high capacity public transit ( EG: bringing back light rail. )

I am willing to allow familes on state aid to receive a graduated standard of living based benefit vs income-based benefit with a hard cut-off.

I am not willing to increase welfare cash benefit / discretionary spend, nor do I support "UBI".

I believe politicians who abuse their power for profit should be prosecuted. ( This includes people on both sides. )

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism_in_the_United_States

Got some bad news for you and them. We all have far more in common than we know.

We are all .. pretty liberal. The United States is founded on .. liberalism. We progressed due to .. liberalism. The robber barons were made rich by .. liberalism.

Surprised Pikachu - "We're all liberals?!" .. yes. In different degrees, yes. The idea of "conservative" has shifted .. very far from what it once was. All along .. we have been fighting with friends, and friends have lost their way because they no longer see OUR perspective: empathy has died in internet echo chambers. < This is an idea I first heard on NPR - and, of course the story has been BURIED and is invisible. If I try to find it now, I get: "Echo chambers are a myth" --- no, they're not.

Democrats and Republicans aren't a threat to democracy and rule by the people. Echo chambers are.

https://www.fairobserver.com/devils-dictionary/has-democracy-become-a-threadbare-reality/

>Democracy has always been about debate. But debate has all but turned away from its original model, human dialogue aiming at the intelligent sharing and exchange of information. Dialogue implies seeking some form of mutual understanding to mitigate conflict, a state that if allowed to fester can only be resolved by the victory of one side and the defeat of the other. At a time when the White House and the official theoreticians of security in the United States evoke a “battle brewing between authoritarianism and democracy,” the confusion about what democracy means and how it translates into government has never been greater. Contemporary democracy appears to have cultivated a taste for conflict and the minimizing of dialogue.

We are all headed down a dangerous path. Like our need to vote - our need to resist the temptation to be ignorant of the opinions of others .. is equally important. It is how our nation was founded. It is how our nation became great.

Straying from our core values is how we die as a civilization.

That's nice.

But we're talking about electricity not heating houses.

Well, yeah. The leadership in Hartford sucks. Frigging convicted old mayor trying to come back to power? Srs.

People gotta let go of this "This is fine" (dog on fire meme) attitude. Why do I say Hartford sucks? Because I want Hartford to be better. Ffs, unless we're all on board, it won't happen.

Foxwoods.

IDK why people are getting so defensive over calling out Hartford as disappointing. It is. The city needs help. I want Hartford to be great, sure. I want an awesome city near me - but - it's not here and it's been going downhill for decades.

The CITY is not the PEOPLE, people.

People. Why downvote?

Compare Hartford to our other cities. What's there to do?

Yard Goats - really - are the only good thing Hartford has going for it right now. Hartford needs more love, and nobody's giving it.

City needs more to do, period. ( More than Board Game night at Bushnell Park.. )

Well there was this one time that it was an outdoor arena.

https://connecticuthistory.org/almost-a-tragedy-the-collapse-of-the-hartford-civic-center/

There's nothing wrong with that.

But, I'm seriously thinking of starting a parody party. Get it on the ballot and run people who have funny names - like Ben Dover, Harry Butts, Mike Hawk, etc.

Pay for advertising, cheapskate.

Having seen and experienced more of the world than you will ever hope to, maybe?

I'm getting a very strong stink of undeserved arrogance from you.

Not everyone is a child like you, boy.

Doing the same thing you progresives do. You may grow up eventually. It would be for your own good.

If you're in college, my boots will be the ones you lick someday. Be happy I keep mine clean. Also, People like me can pick up the scent of shit like you quick. We've seen it all.

Tread carefully. 😘

Here you go proving my point.

Fuck off please.

"Beyond help" - buddy, read this:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect

The article is all about people who think like you.

Did I say that or did you assume that?

You are actually retarded if your mind works the way your mind just worked.

Actually, not literally.

Psst, truly stupid people go insulting the intelligence of others - like YOU just did. I didn't start that, you picked up that retarded gauntlet.

Congrats on winning that Stupid Prize, white boy ( or person who doesn't hear what democrats, in fact, are saying .. when they describe minorities as inferior. )

https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/poem/poems_burden.htm

( Word for word describing what democrats do. )

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Man%27s_Burden

Now read what it means. Of course unless you wish to remain the ignorant person you present as.

Do you pay taxes? Maybe got a kid in school?

Nah. That's what I thought.

We're just well gerrymandered.

Can a Republican ever not be a racist or a fascist to you?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2014/05/02/stop-calling-clarence-thomas-an-uncle-tom/

Bro. Democrats did not change. That's why I'm an independent..

[ I see that downvote. Clearly not. People don't change - Racist Democrats never changed. They just HID it. Stand behind what you claim and accept it when people say the SAME THING YOU'RE SAYING. ]

Yeah, the grand cyclops changed. Yo. If Strom Thurmond were a Republican he'd have been a KKK-Fascist Nazi till the day he died, not "changed with the party politics".

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/06/facing-the-denial-of-american-racism/

Democrats can be racist too. Say it with us. Democrats can be racists too.

Like Democrats who say I can't be successful + I'm disadvantaged because I'm a child of an immigrant + a minority.

Jahana Hayes sucks. I think the same as the prior poster

We can say it and it's ok. She's not a friend of people with jobs. Are you in her district? Do you see her "achievements?"

She touts how she fucks us over. I wanted to see her lose so next time around we can replace her with someone more who gives a shit about the people in the 5th.

Too bad we got gerrymandered into New Haven and Hartford.

Read around the angry posts here. Namely, the ones who get angry over seemingly nothing.

Those posters - are the same dicks on the road that get pissed if you pass them. Everything is a slight.

"Hi."

"OMG, what's that mean? I don't need your patronizing greeting leave me alone OMG you're a fascist fuck you"

I'm looking for places to eat. 😏

Bruh, read my post history. I don't run a restaurant. I'm an engineer who likes good food. I pay for experiences, and I would like to experience the food of my dead grandparents, thank you very much.

But, wow, so defensive about river's edge. Do you run the place? Does it piss you off that one person out here isn't impressed? Should I say the mint tea was shitty too?

Anyway, let's pick apart my first experience of grape leaves with them - and what grape leaves mean to me. Here's what grape leaves are, aka, dolma.

Grape leaf Mint Rice Minced lamb Lemon Salt Pepper

I believe thats it.. there may be a little more, but, it's a super simple food. Like, deceptively simple. Now Here's the problem: how many Americans have had fresh grape leaves?

Not many.

So, when I judge a place, I look for cut corners. Grape leaves are a pain in the ass to do right, few people know the difference between shit out of a can and fresh ones - and it's an easy corner to cut.

If the place cuts that simple corner, they cut other corners. Bad place. Rivers edge cuts that corner.

Why is opening a can a cardinal sin? Because I can open my own dam can at home. I don't want to pay for shit I can make at home. I can open my own can. I don't need to pay someone $12 to pull 3 dolma out of a can, put a little olive oil and lebneh on it and sell it to me. That's just dumb.

Holy shit, thanks for sharing. Will need to check it out - these are a true rarity.

He's pretty good, and yes, his flavors are definitely pure local. I only wish he had more stuff on the menu.. or rotated one or two really traditional foods for those of us looking for them.

We have a ton of great places opening up serving traditional foods. There are Italian, Indian, Mexican, Peruvian, Chinese - lots of really good places.

Talented chefs serving foods from overseas should be proud of their roots, serve us an experience here at home that is normally reserved for when we are traveling.

I feel this a trend that is starting to take off, and an outstanding trend.

They sinned when I went there.

Canned grape leaves. Thought I wouldn't notice.

Nah, I've been disappointed every time I've been here.

Oh hell yeah! They're solid. Very good place.