Governor and Legislature operating on all cylinders

Whether you like his policies or not, Connecticut residents have to acknowledge Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s political skill, which he has deftly employed in the spring legislative session.Malloy’s ability to seize the advantage of his party’s combined legislative and executive power in Connecticut has resulted in an impressive number of landmark bills coming out of the General Assembly, including common-sense marijuana decriminalization, required paid sick leave for service employees, anti-discrimination legislation, a comprehensive energy bill and a new bioscience bill that promises 3,000 new jobs in the state.Combining all of the the legislative successes together, it is clear that the governor and Legislature are working well together and operating on all cylinders — something one can only fondly imagine happening at the national level. One might even point to Gov. Malloy’s playbook when instructing President Barack Obama on how he could have been more productive during his first two years in office.This is not to say that everyone is happy. Some in the business community say Malloy’s “tax and spend” mentality will be bad for business in Connecticut and that a number of his proposed consolidations of state departments simply amount to a game of musical chairs. No one seems to know exactly how the governor is going to erase billions of dollars in state debt while spending money on a litany of new initiatives, and if his grand plan doesn’t work, he may land himself in the political doghouse by this time next year. For now, though, it is clear that Malloy is working hard and fast to make historic changes at a time when historic changes are sorely needed. He certainly gets an A for effort, with high marks for public relations, problem solving and sticking to important issues for Connecticut residents. Call it beginner’s luck if you want. We’ll take it. The excitement of change is here and it feels good.