The CT Mirror released a three-part series examining the effectiveness and viability of the 2017 bipartisan fiscal guardrails. Some state leaders believe they’re needed, others argue for reforms, and another contingent suggests eliminating the guardrails entirely. But Suzanne Bates — a former Yankee Institute Policy Director who sat on the Spending Cap Commission that presented the guardrails — notes how quickly state lawmakers have forgotten the financial mess that befell Connecticut from the government’s loose spending. She explains why the guardrails were established, and why they still matter.