Submitted by Tyler Pratt, Greenwich
We are getting ready to vote soon. Whether by absentee ballots, or at the polls, Greenwich residents will let their voices be heard at the ballot boxes. When it comes to our races for local state offices, I urge everyone to examine the facts and think about the state of our state. It isn’t healthy.
I consider myself a centrist Republican. My views are socially tolerant, but fiscally conservative.
But when I look at our state and compare it to what it used to be, it’s really very sad. The Democratic party has been in power for long enough to have made a real impact in CT, and they have. Unfortunately for us, their impact has been negative.
Connecticut is losing residents. More than 150,000 the past decade. Although Covid has made Fairfield County a temporary refuge for some Manhattanites, this is not a solution nor is it a plan. Another troubling sign is that the residents we have lost, earn an average of $30k per household more than the residents who have moved into CT. This is a big loss in tax revenues.
Democrats have been able to enjoy a large majority in both the legislature and governorship for a decade. On their watch they have raised the income tax rate three times and have not addressed the very troubling underfunded pension liabilities that have crippled our fiscal health. Under leadership of a Democrat controlled legislature, job growth has been flat for more than 30 years and income gains have remained stagnant.
Transportation infrastructure has also been left largely unaddressed. Democrats had voted for a Transportation “lock-box” which was supposed to protect funds to be used solely for updating our state’s infrastructure. But that was raided, and used for other purposes. More taxpayer funds flushed down the drain. Then, Democrats (led by then Senator Alex Bergstein and
supported by Rep Steve Meskers) pushed to fund infrastructure by erecting hundreds of toll gantry’s throughout the state. This amounted to a punitive tax on anyone who uses our roads, including middle and lower income individuals and families who live in CT. Thankfully, this ill-advised proposal died on the vine.
I believe that every American should be treated equally under the law. Recently though, Democrats passed legislation (along a party line vote) that will degrade the standard of safety residents enjoy by imposing onerous rules on our police community, including allowing them to be sued in civil court. This Bill was not well thought out. There was little or no attempt to
collaborate with local police chiefs and their views were largely ignored. It was a political play, and it had the support of State Senator Kasser and Rep Meskers.
The Republican candidates that are running for State Senator and State Rep strike me as a very capable and confident group. I am impressed at the diversity of their backgrounds (two of them immigrated to the U.S. and are minorities). I have read articles they have written and their proposals for enacting change are very practical and common-sense oriented.
I am weary of seeing our state’s economy being mired in a continuous state of degradation. It’s poor health affects Greenwich directly. It will take a community like Greenwich to be at the forefront of supporting real change in Hartford. The Democrats are not going to bring change.
They have not delivered results. They are content to maintain the stagnant status-quo.
It was said that James Carville (President Clinton’s 1992 campaign chief) had a quote posted on his wall that read, “It’s the economy, stupid.” He was right then. And he is right today. Democrats just don’t seem to get it. Let’s fix Connecticut’s economy.
Editor’s note: Letters to the Editor in support of local candidates in the Nov 3, 2020 election may be submitted to [email protected] for consideration beginning July 15 and with a hard deadline of Oct 26, 2020 at noon.