Tied to the mast: Connecticut imposes a ‘debt brake’

In Homer’s Odyssey, sailors are lured to the rocky shores of an island by an irresistible siren song. To prevent his ship from succumbing to the song, Odysseus orders his sailors to fill their ears with wax and tie him to the ship’s mast.

Like Odysseus, Connecticut lawmakers are trying to prevent the ship of state from crashing into bankruptcy. Connecticut’s unfunded liabilities have reached a staggering $35 billion. Municipal governments and school districts across the Constitution State have become increasingly dependent on state bailouts.