Editorial: Casino liquor expansion was bad idea

Thursday, March 12, 2009  

"Three decades ago, Connecticut woke up and changed the law that allowed drinking while driving. But too frequently, we are reminded that the last drink before driving can be equally deadly.

Saturday, a Connecticut College student was killed on I-395 when a van carrying her and others to Boston's Logan Airport was struck by a car going the wrong way. Elizabeth Durante's death was particularly heart-wrenching because she was carrying medical supplies to orphans in Uganda that she'd spent months collecting.

Police have charged the wrong-way driver with driving while drunk. He told police he was drinking at a bar within the Mohegan Sun casino in the hours before the 3:40 a.m. crash. If true, the bar where he got drunk should be accountable for serving him.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell, taking note of the tragedy, says she has withdrawn her plan to allow 24-hour drinking at the state's casinos, which was aimed at raising more revenue for the state. It was a bad idea from the start."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Accident Highlights Folly Of Extending Bar Hours At Casinos (The Hartford Courant 3/12)