Eastern Connecticut State Candidates Speak!

20 of the 37 Eastern Connecticut candidates for State Senate and State Representative participated in the Annual ECAR Legislative Breakfast on September 10, 2014 at the Holiday Inn in Norwich, CT.

Each candidate was asked to answer one of the following questions during their 3 minute remarks.

  • REALTORS® believe homeownership and safe, affordable housing is a fundamental goal of any society, essential to our State’s economic vitality. Connecticut’s affordable housing appeals act (CGS, Section 8-30g) has been a tool used to achieve those goals. Some have proposed the repeal of 8-30g, do you support repeal of 8-30g?
  • Real estate property taxes continue to escalate at an unsustainable rate, jeopardizing housing affordability. A good way to control local property taxes is to eliminate state unfunded mandates, reduce the reach of the municipal prevailing wage statute, and level the playing field under the binding arbitration law – do you agree?
  • Connecticut REALTORS® have opposed the real estate conveyance tax due to its unfair nature being based not on the ability to pay nor gains achieved on the sale of the property. This “temporary” tax has now been made permanent in the state of Connecticut, but is in reality a regressive tax that takes over 31 million dollars away from the housing industry. Would you support legislation to do away with the conveyance tax now that Connecticut state income taxes and other added taxes make our state one of the most heavily taxed states in the country?
  • How would you improve the business climate and job opportunities in Connecticut?
  • What are your legislative priorities and why are they your priorities if you were to get elected?

The table below provides the time in the video that the candidate made his remarks.

District First Party On the Video at
19th Senatorial District Steven Everett Republican  3:47
19th Senatorial District Catherine Osten Democratic 7:19
20th Senatorial District Paul Formica Republican 11:42
20th Senatorial District Elizabeth Ritter Democratic and Working Families 0:00
29th Senatorial District Mae Flexer Democratic 16:05
37th Assembly District Ed Jutila Democrat 19:31
38th Assembly District Kathleen McCarty Republican 23:50
38th Assembly District Marc Balestracci Democratic 27:54
39th Assembly District Andrew Lockwood Republican 32:00
40th Assembly District John Scott Republican 35:03
41st Assembly District Andre Bumgardner Republican 38:51
42nd Assembly District Mike France Republican 42:28
42nd Assembly District Timothy Bowles Democratic 46:11
44th Assembly District Christine Rosati Democratic 49:56
45th Assembly District Stuart Norman, Jr. Republican 53:37
47th Assembly District Doug Dubitsky Republican 57:16
47th Assembly District Brian Sear Democratic 1:01:07
50th Assembly District Mike Alberts Republican 1:04:57
51st Assembly District Daniel Rovero Democratic 1:08:05
139th Assembly District Kevin Ryan Democratic 1:11:58