I know State Senator Jeff Gordon. He has a long track record of good public service as an elected official: 16 years on the Woodstock Planning and Zoning Commission (15 years as its Chairman) and now his work as our State Senator for the 35th District. Jeff knows that it is not just what one does that matters, but also how one does things that matters. It is about integrity and character. It is about rolling up one’s sleeves and doing the real work to work with people and to work for people. It is about common sense. It is about looking to do things in a bipartisan way while standing strong on important principles.
Jeff often says that we should upfront keep more of our hard-earned money. I agree, as we all agree. We know best how to spend our own money to buy the things we need for our families and ourselves. Nowadays, things still cost too much. And we pay too much in taxes, which is money taken our of our pockets.
Jeff promised that he would address the high cost of living in Connecticut. He kept this promise. And he continues to work to keep it. Here are examples:
Negotiated and helped pass in a bipartisan way (working also with the Governor), historic, big state income tax cuts for low and middle income people and families.
Negotiated and help pass expanded tax exemptions for seniors’ retirement accounts and pensions.
Fighting to lower electricity bills by removing taxes on the bills. Electricity bills should only be about the electricity you use and nothing else. Sponsored and got passed property tax exemptions for certified service-related 100% disabled veterans.
Got passed increases in the earned income tax credit for working low-income people.
Fighting against state unfunded mandates on our towns that we pay for in their property taxes.
Voted against legislation that would increase motor vehicle taxes.
Supported child tax credits for working families. Did not pass this year but Jeff is working on it for next year.
Voted to continue the bipartisan “fiscal guard rails” that limit state spending, which keeps on an even keel that state budget so that there are not big ups and downs in the budget that in prior years caused big tax hikes.
Voted to continue the bipartisan effort to keep paying down the state’s big debt burden (billions of $) and big unfunded pension liabilities (billions of $). This means less money being spent to service the debt burden via interest payments, freeing up money to be soent on needed programs.
Fought and won to stop big cuts in state public education funding to towns (and overall helped increase by $240 million the state funding of public education. Brought in state grants and stste bonding money for our towns
Fought for more state infrastructure projects in our part of the state. How did Jeff do these things? He worked with his fellow legislators and the Governor in a bipartisan to find common ground and common purpose on important issues. This is how things get done.
Working with people while working for the people to get good things done for us. And Jeff knows how to work with local officials in Stafford. This is strong integrity and character, which is what we want our State Senator to have.
Jeff’s opponent talks about things she wants to do, but she has been completely absent and has done nothing at all when the real work needed to be done and still needs to be done. In fact, Jeff did the very work and got things done that his opponent only talks about. Also, Jeff’s opponent has pledged to not work with moderates in the legislator. She promised this when she got the endorsement of the Working Families Party. Not working with moderates? Most legislators are moderates, so not working with them means not getting things done for us. Why would Jeff’s opponent promise such a thing? Makes no sense! But Jeff knows that it is common sense to work with people in a bipartisan way. This is what he does and the results show.
We need to keep Jeff Gordon working as our State Senator. He is always on our side. During early voting and on November 5th, join me in voting to re-elect Senator Jeff Gordon.
Christopher Paradiso
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