June 16, 2008 3:12 PM

A Monday smattering (guest post)

Here's a brief cross-section of what's going on in states across the country today:

In Connecticut, Republican Governor Jodi Rell vetoed what would have been one of the most promising health care reform bills yet enacted by a state government. (Yes, more promising even than Massachussett's health insurance industry corporate subsidy program, although much simpler.)

In Ohio, Dem Gov. Ted Strickland signed a $1.57 billion economic stimulus package that aims to create 50,000 jobs by investing in infrastructure construction and the development of renewable energy sources. It's nice to see at least some people in government realize that actually investing in job creation is a more sound way to going about fixing the nation's economy than $300 checks in the mail. The focus on creating green jobs also offers a refreshing snapshot of one of the more promising roads out of the oil addiction that is saddling our country with $4/gallon gas and three trillion dollar wars.

And for those Lou Dobbs fans out there (and I know there's a lot of them on this site), it looks like you'll have to wait at least another election cycle before the populist titan makes a run at the governorship of the fair state of New Jersey.