Letter to the editor from Jeffrey Stewart, Greenwich
I have heard that many Greenwich residents think that Fred Camillo is a “friendly” and “nice” person. I wonder if those are the best qualifications needed to be First Selectman, which is the Chief Executive Officer of the Town. As an alternative, let’s look at Mr. Camillo’s record, which is more instructive.
Fred Camillo’s Record
He voted
1. for the 2017 Republican budget (HB 7501, 2017) which would have:
• eliminated the Citizens Election Fund, public funding for elections;
• made draconian cuts to higher education that then-UConn president Herbst said, “would sink us for decades”
• eliminated the $35 million Willis Scholarship helping 15,000 poor
and minority Connecticut students earn a college education;
2. against establishing the CT Healthcare Partnership that today provides health insurance to over 100,000 Connecticut residents (HB 6308, 2011, Summary)
3. against creating Connecticut’s Health Insurance Exchange (SB 921, 2011, Summary)
4. against raising the minimum wage (HB 5004, 2019)
His Score Cards & Endorsements CT League of Conservation Voters (CLCV), a statewide, non-partisan, nonprofit organization fighting for the environment, has never endorsed Camillo because of his low environmental scores.
The 2008 Vote Smart Survey said that he is
• Opposed to abortions except in the extreme instances of rape, incest, or that the mother’s life is endangered.
• Against hate crime legislation.
• Against state funding for universal pre-kindergarten programs.
Family Institute of Connecticut (FIC) is an anti-choice, anti-gay marriage, anti-assisted suicide, anti-Health & Human Services mandate group. FIC has endorsed Fred Camillo in every election since 2010, which Camillo has accepted.
I personally am very concerned about the condition of our schools and school grounds, and the environment.
Mr. Camillo’s environmental record and his votes to cut funding for UConn, to tax teachers and cut scholarship programs makes me worry about what he will do to the budget for Greenwich schools and the environment if he were allowed to become First Selectman.
Reducing the quality of education is detrimental to students and parents and would make Greenwich less attractive to families.
Let’s maintain our excellent schools, and a clean and safe environment, which will also support our property values and low mill rate.
Jeffrey Stewart