Anne Hughes

We are no longer in wait-and-see mode. The storm facing working families is here, and it's ugly.

I attended a press conference on Sept. 5, where the United Way provided the following snapshot of current conditions, according to data from the latest ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Report and Policy Agenda:

• In the 135th District, 20% -- totaling 1,704 -- households are struggling to make ends meet.
• Statewide, 581,000 households now live in financial hardship, the highest ever recorded.
• The crisis is spreading fastest in our suburban and rural towns, communities once considered more stable.

While the data is devastating, it's not surprising. (And please note, the ALICE data is very much underreporting current conditions).

The release of the ALICE report comes on the heels of a Health and Human Services Committee hearing on Sept. 2 Experts at that hearing said that roughly 168,000 people, or one in seven Medicaid recipients, would lose coverage, and more than 51,000 Connecticut residents would see their health insurance subsidies slashed.

We heard from panicked families, in every district: small business owners, self-employed, who received notices that their premiums on the ACA exchange (AccessHealthCT) could skyrocket by several thousand dollars a month in January, which they flat-out cannot afford.

We heard heartbreaking testimony from families whose loved ones on Medicaid would be potentially losing coverage, and now those on Medicare would have to struggle with receiving prior authorizations before receiving routine care.

My colleagues and I will do what we can to blunt these devastating, cruel and likely lethal policies. Unfortunately, we are working against a seemingly never-ending tidal wave of disastrous policies from our federal government.

For more information on ALICE, visit here.
For more information on Understanding Connecticut's Health Insurance Crisis, visit here.
For more information on Projected Losses in Medicaid and Access Health CT by Town and Community, visit here.

There will be a hazardous waste collection day scheduled for Oct. 11 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 307 Indian Ledge Park Drive in Trumbull. Easton, Monroe and Trumbull residents may participate. 

Residents will be required to show their Connecticut Driver's License when they drop off their hazardous waste materials.

Please note the following:

Neonicotinoid Pesticides

There are restrictions on pesticides that contain neonicotinoid pesticides because they are highly toxic to bees and other pollinators. Please check your household for these products, remove them from use, and bring to the Trumbull Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day for proper disposal: Act Concerning the Reclassification of Neonicotinoid Pesticides Used for Treating Plants.

Transport Materials Safely

Follow these tips and transport the hazardous waste materials safely for proper disposal:

• Bring materials in original containers securely closed.
• Pack containers in sturdy upright boxes and pad with newspaper, if necessary.
• Never mix chemicals together!
• Never smoke or eat while handling hazardous materials.
• Leaking or broken containers must be contained.
• Do not leave vehicles unless instructed to do so.