Letters to the editor - September 25, 2014

Why experience matters

Brian Ohler deserves our respect. Roberta Willis deserves our vote. 

For over 14 years, Roberta Willis has served our community with integrity, intelligence and effectiveness. As a recognized leader, she has: championed job creation and economic development; balanced economic growth with preserving farms and open spaces; worked to ensure a healthy environment for all; advanced early childhood education; expanded financial aid to make higher education more affordable; advanced legislation to prevent sexual violence on our college campuses; fought to keep electric rates down; advocated for breast cancer early detection and pushed to keep fracking waste out of Connecticut.

The above could not have been achieved without her unparalleled work ethic and experience that has provided legislative know-how and the right connections. She is a savvy woman who is the rarest of legislators. She is someone whose political ambition is only to serve the Northwest Corner, not herself. She answers to no special interests and serves all her constituents, regardless of party affiliation. If you need her, she is there. 

We must repay Roberta’s service, loyalty and effectiveness by voting to re-elect her as state representative of the 64th Assembly District. This is not the year to take her re-election for granted. Roberta Willis knows her way around Hartford and makes sure Hartford knows that the Northwest Corner counts. Thank you, Roberta Willis. You have my vote. 

Stacie Weiner

Salisbury

Be charitable

I am writing in response to The Lakeville Journal editorial of Sept. 11, “On Broken Trust.” As a citizen of this community I felt compelled to let you know that this editorial was improper. Our society has recently become aware of just how dangerous the act of bullying can be to a person. I found your note to be mean-spirited and judgmental.

Our community is a small one and there is not enough room in our quaint town to cruelly isolate and publicly shame another person, especially one who has been so instrumental in improving it for our younger citizens. We are all neighbors and should have respect and dignity for one another. As editor of our one and only community newspaper it is your obligation to write with professionalism and foresight of how damaging your viewpoints can be to members of this community and their families. It was shocking how this note was full of such speculation, rather than fact of the situation.

It was obvious that it was written from your own personal disappointment when learning of this story, rather than a fair and thoughtful assessment of the circumstances. As a weekly patron of this paper, I felt more than disappointed by your handling of this unfortunate news. Since it seems that you have received input from others in regard to the situation, I would like to provide a personal statement of my own on Jim’s behalf.

James Meyer has been active and influential in this community for 15-plus years. With the art garage, Jim, along with other great community artists, has created a place for teens to feel safe and express themselves. In a time where budget cuts are leading to the dwindling of art programs in public schools, the art garage provides supplies and kind mentors to help teens be creative. I have been a student and friend of Jim’s and have always received respect, goodwill and guidance from him. Without his support I would not be the successful designer or conscientious human being that I am today. Thank you, Jim. 

Furthermore, without the love shown from him and his family, my mother, sister and I would be lacking an extraordinary group of friends. I hope that this response will be received with the understanding that we should all show more compassion and kindness to our friends and neighbors. We all live here together and the more tolerance and courtesy we share toward each other can only improve our way of life in this community.

Alanna Mulligan

Salisbury 

Let’s renew the Ex-Im Bank Charter

Having come from a traditionally Republican family in Sharon, and having worked in Gen.  Ike Eisenhower’s successful presidential election and re-election campaigns in both 1952 and 1956, I’m usually reluctant to highlight Republican versus Democratic partisan differences on policy issues that require objective thinking and cooperative solution. But this is a controversy where you have to call a spade a spade.

The Charter of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) is once again up for renewal in Congress, as it has been every few years (current proposal is five years) since the bank was established in 1934. Never before, in some 80 years, has renewal been questioned. This year every Democrat in Congress, especially including activists Elizabeth Esty and Chris Murphy, strongly favor and fight for renewal. Almost every Republican for now, and certainly every Tea Party Republican, is opposed, presumably in order to obstruct Congress as well as President Obama — whatever he does.

When I worked for nearly 10 years with the First National City Bank (“Citibank”) in New York and Paris, France (before the days of bundled and bungled mortgage-backed “derivatives”), I don’t know how many times we turned to the Ex-Im Bank, not so much for the financing as for the insurance of US export transactions on behalf of both a number of large corporate clients (like GE, Boeing and Caterpillar) and thousands of American small business clients who would otherwise have had difficulty finding investment partners, foreign customers or other bank lenders willing to accept credit risk. Of course, such financing also benefits the foreign importer who might otherwise not be able to purchase the U.S. product. Don’t let the know-nothing political “Luddites” tell you otherwise.

The Ex-Im Bank costs the United States not one red cent. In fact, on an export portfolio of some $40 billion, the Ex-Im Bank brings over $1 billion a year in extra net revenue to fill U.S. Treasury coffers. So the current argument is not in fact about the national budget or the cost or risk to U.S. taxpayers of doing business. It’s about the disloyal obstruction of democratic government, and the intention of a resentful claque to damage the reputation and legacy of a brilliant, committed president.

Sure, we can always tinker with and improve on the details of whose interests are best served and how best to do it, but the only patriotic and intelligent solution is for Republicans and Democrats to get together and renew the Ex-Im Bank Charter — and do it now.

Tony Piel 

Sharon

Ballot question important for voters

An important question will be on the ballot in Connecticut on Nov. 4:

Shall the Constitution of the State be amended to remove restrictions concerning absentee ballots and to permit a person to vote without appearing at a polling place on the day of an election?

To respond, a voter should mark YES or NO.

Voters in Connecticut should understand and look for the question on the ballot as well as the names of statewide candidates running for governor, lt. governor, secretary of the state, attorney general, treasurer and comptroller, and local state Senate and state Assembly district representatives, regional probate judge and federal representative to Congress. 

Elections are for the most part governed by state laws. In recent years, some states have passed laws to expand voting rights through reforms including: vote by mail; early voting for those who have to work or be out of town on Election Day; Election Day registration; or open primaries. Other states have caused controversies by passing laws to restrict voting rights by limiting early voting, or requiring government-issued photo identification. These latter restrictions have generally been struck down by the courts as discriminatory against elderly and minority voters. Connecticut requests a photo ID such as a driver’s license, but accepts substitute forms such as a utility bill, rent receipt or other which gives the voter’s name and current address. 

Connecticut’s absentee ballot provisions originated during the Civil War when soldiers were disabled or away from home and could not get to the polls to vote on Election Day. (Of course, women and slaves could not yet vote at all.) Changing those provisions requires amending the state Constitution, rather than having the legislature simply pass new laws. 

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill and most state legislators support the amendment, citing instances of close elections where constituencies or individuals whose (in)ability to vote might have changed the outcome. Voter fraud is given as a possible risk, but in fact it is extremely rare and much less of a problem than voter apathy. Fortunately, election officials must follow strict measures to safeguard the voting process and maintain the confidence of the electorate. 

Frances R. Besmer

Kent

Support for SWSA appreciated

All of us at Salisbury Winter Sports Association would like to thank everyone who played in or sponsored a hole in our sixth annual SWSA Golf Tournament Saturday, Sept. 13. As always, the Shakshober and MacArthur families and their staff were great hosts at their wonderful facility, and the Sunday in the Country Food Drive group kept everyone fed from morning until evening.Thank you all again and hope to see you again next year!

Ken Barker, President

Salisbury Winter Sports Association

Salisbury

Despite the political handwringing, there is good to be seen in Connecticut

“Our state is in trouble.” That came from Karen Dignacco in a recent letter to the Journal proposing reasons why Brian Ohler might make a better representative in Hartford than Roberta Willis. Putting aside the indignant rhetoric typically accompanying challengers’ campaigns, shouldn’t we also apply facts? Is Connecticut really “in trouble”? After all, we’re about to be hearing this simplistic mantra of doom endlessly, from Tom Foley on down. But it’s way dubious. Here’s why.

State Debt. The Capital Budget Report shows that in June 2013, 2.5 years into Gov. Malloy’s tenure, total state debt stood at $19.549 billion — up $91 million from the $19.458 billion debt he inherited in 2011 from Gov. Rell. That’s about $36 million per Malloy year, a relatively tiny bump of one-fifth of one percent per annum. Compare that with the jolt of the 38 percent rise in debt during the Rell administration’s 6.5 years — from $14.071 to $19.458 billions. That’s an averaged jump of 5.89 percent per year. In other words, we’re finally experiencing a meaningful slowing of debt growth, distancing ourselves from the real “trouble” of the Rowland-Rell era: a $9.283 billion increase across their 16 years. Nonetheless, state debt per capita remains a weak spot for us. It’s a hangover from those 16 Rowland/Rell years, of course — but, thankfully, we’re now stanching that wound.

Jobs. Connecticut’s August 2014 unemployment rate was 6.6 percent, down 1.2 from 7.8 percent a year earlier (source: U.S. Department of Labor). Another positive trend.

Business, Taxes. According to the Business Tax Climate Index, eight states rank lower than Connecticut on business tax “climate,” including Wisconsin, Minnesota, California, New Jersey and No. 50 New York (none is a right-to-work state). Property tax is problematic for Connecticut, with the second-lowest rating in that index subcategory (New Jersey is last). Within the break-out rankings for income tax, however, Connecticut is safely in the middle quintile (source: www.taxfoundation.org).

Quality of Life. Politico recently compiled 50-state rankings from 14 sources, including the Census Bureau, CDC, FBI, high-school graduation rates, per-capita income, life expectancy, and crime rates (No. 1 being highest). Connecticut was No. 10, following Washington.

Social Science Research Council’s “Measure of America, 2013-2014” ranks states based on the international Human Development Index measuring well-being and — vital for state growth — access to opportunity. Measure America assesses well-being in health, education and earnings — areas that “shape opportunities and enable people to invest in their families and live to their full potential.” Their number one pick? Tiny Connecticut. The Wall Street Journal recently commented on this report, “Connecticut’s GDP is about the same as Wyoming’s, yet the New England state ranked highest among all states in human development.” (Unfortunately, our state also consistently places among America’s highest cost of living — hello, Fairfield County. What will Brian or Tom do about that?)

Shouldn’t we voters insist that between now and Nov. 4 any political claims casually badmouthing Connecticut — blaming everything on Dannel or Roberta, or Barack — be squared with the facts?

Alan Tucker

Sharon

Another good year for Region One fundraiser for the Athletic Fund

Thanks to everyone involved in our ninth annual golf outing to support the Region One Athletic Fund. Our great committee and volunteers did their usual great job. 

Frank Mazzarelli and his staff at the Egremont Country Club did a great job. Our golfers turned out in record numbers.

I continue to be very proud to lend my name to the event.

P.S. Champ Perotti, you’re the best!

Steve Blass

Pittsburgh, Pa.