My published op ed: Lamont-Glassman ticket is the best progressive Democratic combination

[Larkspur]

You can also find the full text of my published op ed in The Killingly Villager, May 14, 2010 edition, on page A9. The Villager produces a PDF version of their entire paper for online use.

Lamont-Glassman ticket is the best progressive Democratic combination

On May 3, 2010, the Ned Lamont and Mary Glassman campaigns announced a game changing decision.

"I am proud to be … Ned Lamont's running mate,” said Mary Glassman. “… although we come from different parts of our state, with different experiences - we share the same vision. We will create a partnership that will bring bold and creative changes to government - with a focus on helping businesses grow and creating jobs, supporting towns and cities in educating the next generation of children and helping everyone achieve their piece of the American dream."

Connecticut Democrats should be excited about this partnership because the Lamont-Glassman ticket offers for the first time in over 20 years a realistic chance at retaking the Governorship.. It’s the perfect blend of an outsider and a government insider that will excite both the Democratic base and Independents this Fall.

Both Ned and Mary are relatively young. Ned is 56 and Mary is 51. Lamont brings an entrepreneur’s perspective while Glassman brings her government experience, which will help Ned translate his vision and goals for getting Connecticut out of our economic woes into reality. The Lamont-Glassman ticket is the best Democratic combination that will have the endurance in both resources and in the candidates’ energy and enthusiasm to battle the well funded Republican nominee from now thru Election Day, Nov. 2, 2010.

The previous 4 campaigns for governor have seen the Democratic nominee overmatched in fundraising by the Republican nominee, and that deficit has been a major factor in keeping the Democrats out of the governor’s mansion. With resources that will keep pace with the Republican nominee, the Lamont-Glassman ticket will be able to effectively make the case that a progressive and Democratic vision is needed to get Connecticut out of its current economic problems. The Republican ideology of “shrink government until it can be drowned in a bathtub” has failed our nation, our state and offers no hope for ordinary citizens. Connecticut needs new leaders with a new vision to make government work for all its people.

Ned Lamont’s leadership style vastly differs from the Republicans’. He employs an inclusive, partnership model that generates a culture of innovation and optimism as opposed to an authoritarian “my way is the only way” model. As governor, Mr. Lamont plans on attracting the best people he can find, regardless of political ideology, to develop solutions to Connecticut’s problems and create opportunities for all. He will be assertive about keeping business in Connecticut by employing a network of economic ambassadors around the state to help him stay in touch with the needs of business and be proactive about keeping them in our state. Mr. Lamont will stop awarding ineffective tax giveaways, and he plans on offering financing to entrepreneurs to help them turn their “innovative ideas … into commercially viable products.”

Mary Glassman will add her knowledge of the mechanics of government, both town and state governments, to the Lamont-Glassman ticket. She was the first Democrat in 40 years to be elected First Selectperson of Simsbury in 1991 In 1999, she served as staff counsel to then Connecticut House Speaker Moira K. Lyons, and in 2006 she served as chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Kevin B. Sullivan before running for Lieutenant Governor herself that year. In 2007, she returned as Simsbury’s First Selectwoman and last year was reelected in a landslide. Under her watch, Money Magazine ranked Simsbury among the Top 100 Best Places To Live in America.

For Killingly in particular, the Lamont-Glassman team will be our partner in developing a diverse economic model to help our town prosper and retain our rural beauty. Currently, our town is redlined by state agencies for warehousing. That’s not the best economic development plan for our town. When I asked Ned Lamont directly about Killingly’s future he replied, “You have more PhD’s per square mile than almost any place in the country, and you're right in the middle of some major universities. Killingly's future is not in warehouses, it's in high demand biotech and life sciences, and one of the first things I'd do as governor is apply for a federal rural grant for a high-speed gigabit Ethernet pipe so that bright young entrepreneurs can start a business on Main Street in Killingly.”

The Lamont-Glassman ticket is the best One-Two punch against the Republicans and their bankrupt ideas that Democrats can have this Fall. It’s the only ticket combination that will have the endurance in both resources and in the candidates’ energy and enthusiasm to engage in a full-court press against the well funded Republican nominee from now thru Election Day, Nov. 2, 2010. That is why I endorse Ned Lamont for Governor and Mary Glassman for Lieutenant Governor, and I strongly recommend that my fellow Democrats and Independents looking for a new vision also support the Lamont-Glassman ticket.

Note to editor: I’m chair of Killingly’s Democratic Town Committee, delegate to the 2010 Democratic state convention, Chair of Killingly’s Historic District Commission, a MoveOn.org member, a member of Connecticut National Organization for Women (CT NOW), and a 1983 graduate from the University of Notre Dame. I majored in History and Computer Applications.