An Affordable CT
Increasing costs to producers and consumers while limiting job growth has squeezed middle-class Connecticut residents to the point that their bubble has burst. Broad based tax reforms are needed to provide relief for middle-class families and inspire the entrepreneurial spirit that once gave Connecticut a booming economy. Excessive and ever increasing fees must be reduced or eliminated. Tax incentives rewarding job-creators attract investment and build a self-sufficient, tax-paying workforce. Less government intrusion equals more innovation and opportunity. JOBS, not promises, pay bills. Building relationships with “Main Street” businesses creates stronger communities.
Public Safety
The only honest conversation about public safety begins with acknowledging the lawful public should not have to fear for their safety and security and criminals should not have to fear bias based on physical traits. The judicial system must ensure the balance between victims’ and perpetrators’ rights. Law enforcement officers must feel free to meet the public’s expectations while respecting the limits of their authority. Punishment needs to be commensurate with the crime regardless of who is judged to have broken the law. Building relationships with Law Enforcement officials creates stronger communities.
Local Land-use Authority
Connecticut’s current definition of “affordable housing” protects neither access to home ownership nor the environment. State mandated one-size-fits-all regulations requiring deed restrictions and allowing high-density building defy reason given Connecticut’s environmental and housing-stock diversity. Contrast small towns with no water or sewer infrastructure to cities with established sanitary and community water systems. Whether Colonial-era homes or modern single and multi-family dwellings, it should not matter WHEN a unit was built or whether it is “deed-restricted,” only that it meets the economic definition of “affordable”. Building relationships that protect local interests creates stronger communities.
The Second Amendment
Federal and State Constitutional protections guarantee law abiding citizens retain their right to keep and bear arms for all lawful purposes, including self defense. The State of Connecticut is among those with the most restrictive gun laws in the country. Creating more gun laws is not the answer to crime. Enforcement of existing gun laws, REQUIRING punishment of criminal firearm misuse, more accessible mental health care, and securing our schools in the same manner we do our government buildings should be our goals. Building relationships based on equal rights creates stronger communities.
Bias in Education
History is fact. Interpretation of historical fact is subjective. History in all its glory and ugliness should be taught without bias. Human evolution is more than biological because we have the ability to reason. Students struggling with reading and comprehension lack the ability to understand social constructs that are part of every current discussion about history and its presentation. Unbiased teaching of historical fact is required to ensure we progress toward the open and inclusive society that protects us all equally. Building relationships with our neighbors stronger communities.
Strong communities are resilient and sustainable. “Qui Transtulit Sustinet”: He Who Transplanted Still Sustains. Connecticut’s unifying belief, goal, and intent.