Enfield Can’t Outsource Its Conscience

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  Community Conversation forum May 7 2025 Sometimes you have to explain yourself. At the Community Conversations last night, I was slightly angry when speaking about the waste outsourcing issue—especially when I demanded the release of the “damn” consulting report. That was rude of me, and I felt bad afterward. Still, my anger over outsourcing comes from years of experience. I don’t fault the Council Republicans or Mayor Ken Nelson, who received my quiet anger, for investigating outsourcing. It’s the government's job to explore options. Many towns outsource; many reject it. But if this town thinks residents will approve it in a referendum, they’re not reading the room. Anyone who’s worked for a sizable company likely knows someone affected by outsourcing. Few speak well of it. As a former tech reporter at Computerworld, I covered IT management, which often meant reporting on outsourcing. Companies rarely wanted to talk. My job was to find the IT workers losing their jobs and repor...

WHY do stores bother with one-way signs? Because large numbers of people ignore them

 


So I'm trying to understand why one way signs in grocery stores are increasingly ignored. I post on Enfield's Facebook page raising this question and wait for the responses. Here is a summary of the main arguments: 

1. “The virus isn’t that communicable. It’s been overstated.” 

2. “I am not a sheep.” 

3. “If six feet apart works, why the mask?” 

4. “Some people don’t pay attention to the signs.” 

The only one I get is 4. People do blank, don't notice, are pre-occupied etc. Following directional signs in a grocery store isn't in their DNA. 

The rest of the reasons are mostly nonsense. People reach their own reasons for rejecting the science, or view it -- the sheep comments -- are imperial overreach by the federal virus storm troopers. 

I think we’re all reaching a point where the virus is in our collective rear view mirror, and that’s in part due to the decent job we did in this state to bring it under control. But until this thing goes away, or treatment or vaccine arrives, we still got a problem.

I do see elderly people in the stores. They can’t afford the home delivery (it really adds to the costs) and they may not have the support, friends or relatives, who can shop for them. I watch some of the and they can be super cautious. There’s others like that as well who really try to avoid others. For many, there's a still a real fear.

Even if you have strong objections, don’t see the point and don’t have the time or interest to follow the arrows, at least be careful around those who are uniquely vulnerable because of age. It’s just being polite. There’s nothing wrong with doing that and it's so simple.

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