The NEWS 8 Target Viewer #2 I’m 46 years old. I live in East Lyme. I’ve worked construction jobs in southeastern Connecticut for almost 20 years, but the work isn’t as steady as it used to be. A lot of people around here have been saying that. My father retired from Electric Boat after 30 years, but some of his younger co-workers are wondering if they’ll get the same chance. My brother has had more luck – he works at Pratt & Whitney in Middletown, and his position seems safe for now. I finished a drywall job two weeks ago and have been giving my cousin a hand since then – he runs a small landscaping company. He’ll return the favor by helping me put a new roof on my house this Fall. I got some good news today – I’ve picked up a few months of construction work on the new Niantic Bay Bridge. I’m thankful for the job, even if it’s only Monday and Tuesday nights from 10pm to 4:30am. That’s the only time they’ll be able to shut the old bridge down because of Amtrak. It will feel good to be building the new bridge – the problems with the old one have been going on for years, and it’s really been hurting the fishing business around here. It’s only two nights of work a week, but it’s still something. The pay is pretty good. The job I really wanted was working on the new Q Bridge in New Haven – that would’ve meant a couple years of solid work. I was qualified, but I guess too many guys showed up for the job. What’s on my mind these days? My family. I have a wife and three kids, ages 4 – 15. Everywhere you look, crime seems to be on the rise – even the small towns aren’t as safe as they used to be. And everything is so expensive these days – especially when you have three kids. We already have some credit card debt. We’re only paying the minimums right now, so I’m worried about that too. And I worry that we don’t get to spend enough time together either; when I’m working, my wife is watching the kids. When she needs to work, I’m watching the kids. It’s not easy to find some down time when all you’re doing is running around. What do I want? More work, of course. Steadier work. I see these politicians on TV talking about creating jobs, and I want them to deliver on that. I want to get something for my vote – and for my tax dollars. My roots are in Connecticut, I love this state.
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