Date: Fri 30-Oct-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

election-profile-Stripp

Full Text:

ELECTION PROFILE: Assembly District 135 -- John Stripp

BY STEVE BIGHAM

John E. Stripp's role model is Teddy Roosevelt, America's gritty 26th

president, who loved the outdoors and believed in conserving it. He started

the national park system nearly 100 years ago.

Mr Stripp, a Republican, shares many of those ideals and takes them with him

as he seeks a fourth term in office as representative of the 135th State House

District. Though he is running unopposed, he is still busy campaigning.

"I'm getting out there. I'm also busy helping others with their campaigns,

including John McKinney (who is vying for the 28th District state senate

seat)," he said last week.

Mr Stripp, 60, of Weston, sits on the House committees for appropriations,

commerce and banking.

In Newtown he represents about 1,000 voters from District 3-A (those residents

living around the Poverty Hollow Road area). The 135th District also includes

Easton, Redding and the northern two-thirds of Weston.

Topping Mr Stripp's key issues are the environment, economic development and

education. He vows to continue his fight to reduce taxes, especially the

elimination of the inheritance tax, and reduction of the income tax and

corporate tax.

Mr Stripp is also speaking out for the creation of more job training in

Connecticut's inner cities. "We have to focus on their educational system. I

voted for taking over the Hartford school system," Mr Stripp said. "I'm not in

favor of taking away local control, but it had to be done due to the abysmal

condition of the education it was giving out."

Mr Stripp has been outspoken in his push for welfare reform, saying it is time

Hartford worked to get people off state support. In order to get off welfare,

the lower-income residents need to get some sort of an education, he said.

Jobs are created when there is a strong economic climate.

"I would also like to see more use of the state's educational system for adult

continuing education. This sharpens up the job skills, preparing the

population for the 21st Century," Mr Stripp said.

The candidate continues to fight for tax and spending reductions and other

incentives to encourage business growth and expansion that have helped turn

the state's economy around.

Mr Stripp recently became vice president of the newly-established Bank of

Westport. Along with his son, Jeff, and wife, Judy, Rep Stripp operates a

natural foods store in Wilton called Nature's Merchant. He has a master's

degree in management from Columbia University, served five consecutive terms

as a selectman in Weston, and has chaired Weston's Board of Finance and Land

Acquisition Committee.

An open space advocate, Rep Stripp served on the board of trustees of the

Devil's Den Nature Preserve. He said there is a crucial need for this type of

open space to provide enough acreage for wildlife habitat.

"I'd like to see towns be more aggressive in buying land -- we may be at the

edge of our last opportunity," he said.

Current regulations set aside only 10 percent of a residential development as

open space, but the time has come to revise the regulation to 25 percent for

developments of six or more houses, he said. "The location of half of the land

should be determined by the town, half by the developer, and it can't be

wetlands or ledge," he said.

The state representative also played a key role in getting $6 million in

funding to purchase nature conservatory Trout Brook Valley from Bridgeport

Hydraulics.

Rep Stripp also favors allowing accessory apartments to count toward a town's

quota of affordable housing, something the state currently does not allow

unless there is a deed restriction of 25 years. He would support a five-year

deed restriction, but a proposed amendment to that effect was defeated.

As for the Clinton scandal, Mr Stripp said he is more concerned with those

matters he sees "bubbling below the surface."

"Potentially , money might have come from the Chinese military, there are

reports of misused FBI files and misuse of some Pentagon files," he said. "If

that's true, then that's an attack on the constitution."

As for Mr Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky, Mr Stripp called it a dumb

act that could undermine his ability to lead the country effectively. The big

issue is really the lying under oath, he said.

Mr Stripp said covering parts of four different towns is difficult.

Fortunately, though, each of the towns is similar in their views of the world.

Not able to come to Newtown as often as he'd like, Mr Stripp works very

closely with State Rep Julia Wasserman of the 106th District.

"She always keeps me fully apprised of the Newtown politics," he said.

In addition to his wife and son, Mr Stripp has a daughter, Diane, and two

grandchildren, Carter and Sarah.