At a pair of recent candidate debates sponsored by the League of Women Voters in Fairfield and the Trumbull Chamber of Commerce in Trumbull, the office seekers all rallied around one key issue: jobs.
Sure, the candidates talked about other issues such as the state budget deficit, transportation and the environment, but they all agreed with each other that jobs must be created in Connecticut or the economy will remain in dire shape.
State Rep candidates Tom Drew (132nd District Democratic incumbent) and his opponent Brenda Kupchick; Democratic incumbent Kim Fawcett (133rd) and her opponent Dee Dee Brandt; and Republican incumbent Tony Hwang (134th) and his Democratic challenger Michael Murren gathered Oct. 18 in Fairfield.
All six candidates chimed in on the economy and their ability to help create jobs if elected. But that”™s not really a surprise with Connecticut”™s unemployment rate threatening to surpass 10 percent.
“Excessive regulations strangle small businesses in the state, severely limiting their ability to create jobs,” pointed out Murren who runs an insurance business. “The state government needs to react to the current edition of the economy. One way to do that is to enact legislation to attract green businesses which would be good for both the economy and the environment.
Brandt pointed out to the audience and her opponents that the biggest problem is that businesses are fleeing the state and the state government itself has become Connecticut”™s biggest employer.
“It”™s real simple,” she said. “You move to North Carolina and your taxes go down. Your businesses”™ taxes and your employees”™ taxes.”
At Friday morning”™s Trumbull debate the rhetoric was more of the same. This time the lineup included 22nd District State Senator Anthony Musto and his Republican challenger David Pia, Trumbull State Representative T.R. Rowe who is running unopposed, and Murren and Hwang.
Pia noted, “There are not enough good jobs in our state. The answer to this problem is simple, small businesses create over 70 percent of our state”™s work force.
“They are job creators and that”™s exactly what we need.”
In the close 4th District congressional race between incumbent Democrat Jim Himes and Republican State Senator Dan Debicella, the two have squared off in several heated debates and although the issues have been far more wide ranging, but job creation is certainly a major topic.
In their Oct. 21st debate, the main focus was on foreign policy but the two candidates had ample opportunity to discuss jobs and the economy. Himes has been a supporter of the stimulus package and criticized Debicella for attacking the stimulus while consistently praising it when stimulus funds arrived in his district.
Debicella responded by saying, “I”™d take it all back if my payroll tax cut is instituted.”
Debicella has proposed dismantling the stimulus plan and instituting a deep cut in the payroll tax. On his website, he explains it thusly, “I propose that we repeal the 50 percent of stimulus money that has yet to be distributed and instead cut the payroll tax in half for one year. This one act will save every family in America $1,500 in taxes. Furthermore, it will provide tax relief to small businesses so that they can afford to hire additional employees.”
So the main issue in this state is clearly jobs. All of our local candidates have agreed this is the case. All I know is that the campaign season is almost over and if there is going to be job growth in Connecticut it will take action and not mere rhetoric.
Rob Sullivan is the publisher and executive editor of the Bridgeport Banner daily website and monthly print edition. The website can be accessed at www.bridgeportbanner.typepad.com. He lives in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport.
