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For those that have the occasional misfortune of following me around, or watching my video show THIRTY WITH TONY, or listening to me on 94.9’s great and state-leading “Lee Elci Show,” I often preface my impressions with references from old television shows and movies. Possibly, these impressions are shaped in my upbringing as my father ran movies as a projectionist in my hometown of Stamford, Connecticut and I watched many a movie with him out of those tiny portholes in those brutally hot projection booths, but nonetheless, this cinematic way of framing things has followed me my entire life.

Now, I would like each of you to focus on the picture above of the booth for the State of Connecticut at the Freedom America 250 Celebration held in our Capitol of Washington D.C. By way of explanation, booths were provided to every state of the Union in order to share its best, its treasures, its storied history, its legends, and its values. However, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont (known as “King Ned, the Unaccountable”) thought that it was in the best interest of the state not to exhibit any of that for the millions coming to see the display, first by citing budget, later, even after being offered money to exhibit.

Therefore, we are left staring at an empty booth.

Now, what goes through your mind in seeing that picture?

For me, I viewed this through the lens of a camera. I framed in my brain an imaginary episode of the “Twilight Zone,” circa 1962. Now imagine. As the camera fades in to the picture above, we hear the gravely, staccato voice of Rod Serling, narrating ...”Pic-ture if you will, the dis-play of the Con-sti-tution State of Connecticut at the two-hund-red and fifty-eth Anniversary of the U-nited States of Am-er-i-ca. As each state displays its bright lights achievements, history and its love and pride for the Country, Connecticut does the same.”

That is what I saw. That is what I heard. And unfortunately, millions of others have that same perception. For unfortunately, one viewing this development can be left with only one of two impressions, being 1) Connecticut has had no contributions to American culture and history for a quarter of a Millenium, or 2) Connecticut Hates America.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I submit to you that the second of those impressions is indeed the accurate one, as the first has no relationship to the truth.

Now if you do not know me, I go back. Way back. And I am not shy in talking about it. But I can say that I participated in the 1976 Bicentennial. It was a different world. At that time, I dated a young lady with a mother that escaped the violent takeover of Slovakia and Hitler in 1938. Her Mom would shake and cry talking about the blood on the water and the horrors that ensued, oftentimes without provocation. At that time, I could not relate at all.

But a half-century later, I understand. I understand well.

In my understanding, I understand what America in general, and freedom in particular, has meant to me. As the youngest child of parents who never graduated high school I look back and realize none of what I have ever been able to do could have happened but for the opportunities that were afforded to me in the very state of Connecticut. My father had epilepsy, yet he learned stagecraft from his brothers and became so skilled that he provided the lighting and sound for major Broadway shows. He and my mother raised three boys, all of whom went on to earn advanced degrees. I would be lying to you if I told you things were perfect. But there were lessons. Lessons that follow me to this day into two careers and a life that while frustrating on some days, has allowed me to perform at a high level in two fields and help many along the way with God’s grace.

Many others in Connecticut, far better than I, have made similar contributions in major endeavors. I am sure that each and every one of these people is proud of their contributions, great and small.

We know that. We see. But what does the world see? An empty booth for all of the collective contributions of Connecticut. No history. No achievement. No literacy. No results of hard work. No business achievement.

Just the disdain that an empty booth reflects.

But in showing the world that empty booth, what else are showing? Are you showing disdain and disregard for those in the Nutmeg State that fought for the freedom that we deeply cherish? Possibly Mr. Lamont, your disregard reaches those that fought the Second World War and returned to teach my generation via the G.I. Bill. Or perhaps your disregard is towards others that came back from war to lead lives in the community like “Pat,” our softball umpire that carried an 85lb machine gun in the Pacific when he himself weighed 75. Or does your disdain reach folks like my high school guidance counselor Sid Sherer at Rippowam High School, a Jewish man that was a Nazi prisoner of war. Mr. Sherer means a lot to me. When I told Mr. Sherer I was undecided on a career path between accounting, law, or (gasp!) radio, Mr. Sherer told me to stick to accounting because it would pay the bills, and I am sure he’d be laughing out loud at what my life is like today. Or Eddie Kovacs, Chair of the Stamford High School History Department and a decorated war hero and Catholic Church Deacon, that counseled a young kid teacher named De Angelo to pray for career guidance and that life was not all play and ballgames.

I take a piece of these men every day of my life. But ostensibly you do not. There is no mention in that vacant booth of the sacrifice of these gentlemen nor any mention of the Defense manufacturing leader that Connecticut used to be. Of course, all of that is in the past. Connecticut hates wars but continually allows them in its large cities. And Connecticut hates legal guns and the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. But alas the Constitution is an American document, (and Connecticut hates that, as well).

But staring further into that blank display, Mr. Lamont, what further disregard for history and Connecticut culture are you committing? At one time not so long ago, Connecticut was not a welfare state, but a leading one. As one example, I noted over the weekend that Stamford alone produced three members of major sports Halls of Fame: Jackie Robinson in baseball, Andy Robustelli in football (aka Mr. Robustelli to us peons), and Walter Kennedy in basketball, the one-time Commissioner of the NBA and Mayor of Stamford, and a man that was instrumental in founding the Basketball Hall of Fame.

I played baseball with Mr. Robustelli’s son. Jackie Robinson became the very first Black resident in a suburban Connecticut community when no one else would have him. And Walter Kennedy took a collection at St. John’s Catholic Church when I was a kid. His sportswriter son Bobby once told me how Walter as a young man with asthma at Notre Dame University walked into legendary football coach Knute Rockne’s office offering to do anything just to help the team. As he was being dismissed by a secretary, he heard a bellowing voice yell, "Get him a broom!" That single act of humility launched one of the most remarkable careers in sports administration and an exemplary life.

It does not stop there. A young man with the last name of Valentine was five years ahead of me in high school and went on to play major league baseball and manage in the World Series. Another young man named Vejar fought for a world championship, later went on to act, and to be the Chief Executive of United Cerebral Palsy. He was a genuine and lovely man that loved to show us kids at the Stamford “Y” how to do the speed bag. There were countless others as well.

All of whom we could look at and say, “there. That man (or woman) is from my town.”

But what does an empty booth show, Mr. Lamont? Emptiness. Emptiness is quite symbolic and apropos of your leadership performance over the past eight years. None of those contributions of the legendary of Connecticut matter. However, what does matter is your snubbing of America by showing the rich history of Connecticut as nothing more than a blank slate to satisfy your frayed political base.

But there is no reason to be historical about Connecticut’s hatred for America. Take sport. The great humorist Ogden Nash told us that sports are the candy shop of life. But in Connecticut it’s much more than that. Sport is selective hatred. Recently, the Men’s basketball coach of the University of Connecticut, (Dan Hurley) chose to enjoy the UFC events on the White House lawn and chat with the President. It is what he enjoys. And he is now facing the wrath of the devil by doing such a horrible thing from team fans and state-run media hacks who are pleading with him to exercise “better judgment” in the future. Now truth be told, I hate the UCONN teams (long story) and I root for them to lose every game. And I have had significant questions as to the integrity of the institution, and I do feel guilty when I see Coach Jim Calhoun in my adopted hometown of Pomfret, and he is as affable as one can be. But I am the first person to tell you that Mr. Hurley has the right to enjoy any legal activity he wishes in his off hours and will defend his right to do so regardless of what the America haters will tell him. Unfortunately, one cannot cheer for America and UCONN at the same time. Much less, work for UCONN. Mr. Hurley should have known not to do such a horrible thing, and it will be surprising if he does not pay a price for his personal choices going forward.

But we do not need to get historical in politics and policy either. Just look at today. The present climate is quite reflective of the Connecticut government’s hatred of America as well. In my life apart from the radio and video show, I masquerade as a tax lawyer and trust officer, as I have for decades. Again, I go back as far as the Tax Reform Act of 1976 enacted at the last celebration. For those that follow me on the shows, they realize that I am a fierce but fair critic of governmental policy and legislative practices, as I have seen it all before. I sometimes take an odd joy in telling whippersnappers less than half my age that their “unprecedented” proposals failed 35 years ago. And in my estimation, the 2025 OBBBA law changes, especially regarding “Trump Accounts” having the ability to lift every state child out of poverty including, but not limited to HUSKY kids, expanded write-offs for manufacturing assets, and the expanded manufacturing-friendly “Qualified Opportunity Zone” (“OOZ”) provisions are exactly the economic dynamite needed to bring Connecticut away from its economic disaster and state-socialist-dependent economics. But what do we see instead? Arrogance, ignorance, and failure. We see a governor and governor candidates blather comments about “developing manufacturing” with no plan nor clue as to effecting this when the die has already been cast. We see a cowardly and Trump-hating legislature refusing to even consider enhancing these possibilities or obtain guidance for implementing them. We see the destruction created by a long-tenured Congresswoman in the Second District that is a national embarrassment, an equally-embarrassing U.S. junior Senator bereft of any reasoning skills that has never held a true job outside of politics, and a senior U.S. Senator that first lied about serving in combat in Vietnam, next appeared at a Communist rally, and further has participated in other vile and obstructionist acts. All dubiously function as our leaders, while the supposed opposition party remains deathly silent on the actions of each and every one of them. If you are a humble citizen of Connecticut and you disagree with the actions of any of these people, it is very tough for you to believe that Connecticut does not hate you, as well.

But in Connecticut, if you like peanut butter, you will love Skippy. Here, we see legislative and bureaucratic assaults on families through rigid mandates and efforts to over-regulate homeschooling just to protect union jobs at all costs because the union is the largest voting bloc, and all votes (legal, or not) matter. We watch historic, valuable neighborhoods wrecked for monstrous housing developments in the name of “affordability,” and “fighting racism” even as our population declines. We lose our best and our brightest to other states where production is rewarded and not punished. We watch children at “drag shows” in the name of “culture.” We see pornography in school libraries. We watch other children be medically mutilated in the name of “science.” In true Communistic fashion, we watch the productivity, integrity, culture, and societal fabric of Connecticut decline to the point where what is left over can be symbolically placed in its entirety, in a vacant booth.

CONNECTICUT HATES AMERICA.

In view of the above, shall we be discouraged and disheartened? I submit to you we should not. I always remind people that no government, administrator, or politician dictates who you are, and what your life should be. That is between you and Almighty God. But I am encouraged that the 23rd Psalm of the Holy Bible reminds us that the Lord will prepare a table for us in the presence of our enemies. Kindly note that it did not say we will be running from them. This verse tells me continually that our enemies will be present, but we will prosper in spite of them.

Personally, that is all of the relief that I could ever ask for. So, keep reaching and growing. Never forget where you came from. Take a lesson from the greats that have gone before us, famous or not. Take pride in yourself. America gave you the chance to be you, to succeed, to fail, to recover, and to keep building. No empty booth can take that away.

Fight for what is right. And the haters? All they will be left with is an empty booth to accompany their emptiness, lack of character, optimism, and boldness, ever so perfectly.

May God Bless America and Keep Her for another 250 years.

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