Candidates Ply Statements, Endorsements

By John Voket

With less than three weeks to go before voters head to the polls, in part, to elect a regional probate judge and the two state lawmakers who will represent local constituents in Hartford, releases, notices of endorsements, and platform position papers have been circulating with greater urgency. The Bee has already reported that local 106th District incumbent Chris Lyddy received the local IPN endorsement while his opponent, George Ferguson received the endorsement of the State Independent Party (“IPN Endorses Lyddy Despite State Independents Support For Opponent”; The Newtown Bee, October 8, 2010).

Mr Ferguson issued the first of at least three promised position papers on October 6, titling the document, “Musings of Political Newcomer.” In it he extols his ideas about fiscal responsibility, saying, “Our State government which has a fundamental responsibility for creating policies and a strategy to promote and support a vibrant business climate has abdicated that responsibility.

“Over the past two years rather than reducing the burden of government to responsibly make Connecticut a better place to start or build a business, our State government has been continuously taxing, spending, borrowing, mandating and regulating Connecticut out of business,” Mr Ferguson continued.

Mr Ferguson goes on to say that in chatting with fellow Newtowners during his campaigning, he is learning that more than a few are contemplating not only moving out of town, but out of Connecticut as well.

“Some are waiting for a hope for recovery in real estate prices, others for a new out-of-state opportunity and still others to retire,” Mr Ferguson writes. “I think the problems are already reflected in real estate prices and will continue to be a drag on those prices until the underlying systemic problems in Hartford are corrected.”

Mr Ferguson believes that the state’s financial health and its looming $2.5 billion functional budget deficit for each of the next two years is the most significant issue facing Connecticut now and into the future.

“Doing nothing means reelecting the same old gang and watching as the taxes and borrowing reach epic proportions,” he writes. “The state cannot continue to transfer the tax burden to towns like Newtown by changing reimbursement formulas for education funding, and municipal aid and by legislating unfunded mandates to towns which are already struggling with out of control property taxes.”

The Republican statehouse challenger says he supports no new taxes; reduction of state spending to 2008 levels; reduction of pay to officials and agency heads by ten percent; transition of state’s pension system to a 401(k)-style program for new employees; and reduction of debt to enable a reduction in taxes.

(Read the full text of 106th District challenger George Ferguson’s first position paper in the online version of this story at www.newtownbee.com.)

NFIB Endorses Hovey

In other political news, The Bee has received notice that 112th District Representative DebraLee Hovey was recently endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). The NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association with offices in Washington, D.C., and all 50 state capitals.

“This is an exciting endorsement because it is about small business, which is dear to my heart and the heartbeat of our community,” said Rep Hovey, whose district encompasses one of Newtown’s four voting districts. “If we are going to move out of this economic recession, it most likely will be the entrepreneurial spirit that does it.”

Ms Hovey will appear on the November 2 election ballot as the Republican Party nominee for state representative in the 112th State House District which comprises all of Monroe and part of Newtown.

Newtown attorney Timothy Holian, who is the Democratic candidate for the new regional probate bench that will serve Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield, and Bethel, dispatched a press release on October 6 which in part detailed his experience working in and around probate courts in the region for more than two decades.

Mr Holian pledges, if elected, to “discontinue my law practice to devote my full attention to the inevitable growing pains of the new probate court, and to the greatly expanded work load soon to be generated by the 78,000 people of the district.

“To do otherwise would work a disservice to the people of Bethel, Newtown, Redding, and Ridgefield who, frankly, deserve no less than the level of dedication, commitment and undivided attention I will bring to the position as your full time probate judge,” Mr Holian continued. “Also, by discontinuing my law practice while serving as your probate judge, I will avoid new conflicts of interest, perceived or real, thereby making disruption of court business less likely.”

Mr Holian added that “while it is permissible for a sitting probate judge to continue to practice law while serving, I strongly believe that to do so in a district as large as ours is not advisable and works a disservice to those served by the probate court.”

Egan Cites Experience

Judge Joseph Egan, the Republican regional probate candidate, is currently Ridgefield’s sitting probate official. In a press release, he cites his experience of 37 years as an attorney and 20 on the probate bench.

“In addition to presiding over the Ridgefield Probate Court I have heard cases in at least 15 other districts and have been a backup in Norwalk, which is the fifth or sixth largest court in the state, since 1996,” Judge Egan writes.

In addition to his judicial duties, Judge Egan also related his experience and commitment to both state and national judicial organizations.

“At the state level I currently serve on the executive committee of the Connecticut Probate Assembly and am its nominating chair,” he stated. “At the national level I served on the executive committee of the National College of Probate Judges from 2001 to 2009 and in November, 2007, I was installed as only the second president from Connecticut in its 40-year history.”

Judge Egan previously told The Bee that he would likely continue practicing law in a limited capacity if he was eventually successful in becoming elected to the regional bench.

Besides publicizing candidate positions and endorsements, The Newtown Bee will host a Candidate Forum at Edmond Town Hall on Tuesday, October 19, that will provide Judge Egan and Mr Holian an opportunity to introduce themselves to local constituents. That forum will also engage Rep Lyddy, Mr Ferguson, Rep Hovey and her Democratic challenger Michele Mount in a question-and-answer session.