Leading with Service, Delivering with Purpose
Housing
Solving the housing crisis in Connecticut is key to solving the affordability crisis; growing grand lists is fundamental to the health of our towns.
Here in Weston, we voluntarily rezoned the center of our town in order to allow greater housing density. We have two acre zoning throughout most of our town, but, as a community, we want to be more welcoming to seniors who are downsizing, young families starting out and town employees who would like to live closer to work. I learned a really important lesson from that exercise: if we don’t make it profitable for builders to build, lots remain undeveloped. While we may not be able to control the cost of materials and labor, we can help lower administrative costs for builders without sacrificing environmental or regulatory compliance. As your next State Senator, I will work to find creative solutions that lower the cost of building.
We have to create solutions that work and that ease the housing crisis without creating an infrastructure crisis. I understand that many of us here in Fairfield County want to build more housing, but we also live with the daily structural limitations inherent to parts of the 26th District. Millions of us commute daily from our hometowns into Manhattan using three main routes: the Metro North, the Merritt Parkway, and I-95. We worry about the effect increased density will have on already overburdened infrastructure. As your next State Senator, I will make sure that we take a holistic approach to growth that includes building more affordable, accessible housing, while also ensuring that our infrastructure can meet the needs of increased density.
Healthcare
Healthcare costs are one of the main drivers of municipal budgets, school budgets, the cost of running a business and our own household budgets. The current state of affairs in Washington has made an already challenging issue even hard to address.
As First Selectwoman, I have been on the front lines of the municipal budgeting process for many years. I have watched the escalating cost of providing quality healthcare to our employees and I have been grateful for help from the State of Connecticut. The rate of increase for health insurance in recent years is truly alarming, with no end in sight.
On a more personal level, I have navigated our complex healthcare and health insurance system with my own family. I know what it’s like to worry about the cost and availability of coverage, the frustration of dealing with scheduling and finding doctors close to home. I understand.
As your next State Senator, I will work to hold insurers accountable, to ensure it’s not just urban centers that have access to quality care, and find solutions to ever rising costs.
Education
I began my time in public service as a member of the Board of Education; outstanding public education is near and dear to my heart. I will continue to support our teachers and students at every level.
As the State sets high standards for our schools, it is important that we also provide the resources necessary for districts to reach them. With the loss of federal funding, this has only gotten harder for many of our cities. Whether it is combatting hunger, ensuring students are being taught to read using proven, science based methods, or fully funding special education, I will work to bring home much needed funding to help schools meet state requirements.
Our public schools must meet the needs of all learners and support all paths to career success. It’s not just college bound students who deserve our focus. As your next State Senator, I will promote and support alternative pathways to work, though career training, community college and trade schools.
Energy
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