The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Improving kids’ lives hot topic at forum
Candidates talk early childhood education, communities, budget
MIDDLETOWN — Nearly a dozen legislators and state
House and Senate hopefuls addressed issues that concern families at a candidates forum Thursday, touching upon early childhood education, closing the achievement gap, racial inequality and fiscal responsibility.
The Middlesex Coalition for Children hosted the event at the deKoven House. Izzi Greenberg, executive director of the coalition, moderated the event.
Republican Ernestine Halloway, candidate for the 82nd House, which covers Middlefield and Meriden, calls herself an “old-fashioned” advocate for children.
“If we build (up) boys and girls, we won’t have to repair men and women. We need to catch them in the third, fifth and ninth grade, in that funky period where they have growth spurts, and we must tell them the truth. We’ve got all these big words to describe things that are really small, but we need to tell them this is the deal and this is what’s going on.”
Halloway, who grew up in New York, said she pines for older women who act as “mother of the neighborhood.”
“‘I’ll take you by the collar and bring you home.’ We don’t make them anymore.”
Her choice to run for office was spurred by her belief that “children are getting the short end of the stick. And we’re lost. If we’re not careful, we’re going to lose another generation.”
Those in attendance included state Rep. Joseph Serra, D-Middletown; his opponent, Republican Linda Szynkowicz; Republican 34th House candidate Irene Haines, 35th House candidate, Democrat Christine Palm; 82nd House candidate, Republican Ernestine Halloway; 100th House candidate, Middletown city treasurer and Democrat Quentin Phipps; 101st House candidate, Democrat John-Michael Parker; 23rd District candidate, Democrat Matthew Pugliese, state Rep. Matthew Lesser, D-Middletown, who is running for the 9th Senate District; and 32nd House candidate, Democrat Laurel Steinhauser.
Szynkowicz said she’s most concerned about rising taxes and the exodus of people from the state because of the lack of jobs and high cost of living. “We’ve lost over a quarter of a million people in the last 10 years because of the fiscal problems we have. We tax everybody. If you work, we are taxed to death. Taxing isn’t the way to go. We need to look at where the money is being spent right now, where the duplications are, and where are our priorities.”
Haines was formerly director of membership service for the Girl Scouts of Connecticut, where, through an Americorps grant from the United Way, she had a chance to work with the New London, Norwich and Windham County school systems.
“That was really eye opening for me. We were able to bring the Girl Scout program to children that hadn’t had that opportunity, because, in those areas, those wonderful developmental programs for children aren’t necessarily available (like in cities such as Middletown). It’s so important that we collaborate.”
Parker, born and raised in Madison, worked as a fourth-grade teacher at a private school in New York City. He now runs The Future Project, which brings social and emotional learning to over 25,000 children across the country.
“Why, at so many schools, aren’t they able to offer programs and resources to those who aren’t privileged to be born into a different zip code? I was privileged to grow up into love and into values. We need to make sure we have new voices of younger people and they have a seat at that table in Hartford, making decisions.”
Palm touched on the issue of marginalized people. Her four boys attended the Hartford Public School System. “Being a racial minority as a white person, I think it made them better citizens of the world, and it’s something that stays with them every day.
“I am really tired of seeing social services, women, children, eldercare — those are the first things that get cut, because those are deemed expendable, and that’s absolutely wrong,” she said.
Pugliese , managing director at UConn’s Connecticut Repertory Theatre, formerly ran Oddfellows Playhouse in Middletown. He’s a father of two.
“I’m concerned about my children and their ability to grow up in Connecticut and what the future holds. Connecticut has among the highest income inequality. We have incredibly wealthy towns in our community, but at the same time, it has a high percentage of the population falling under the ALICE threshold.”
Phipps, born and raised in Middletown, said he wants young people to have all the opportunities he’s been afforded.
“There are tons of inequities, especially when you look at racial and economic lines. How do we create decisions of change to make sure the color of your skin or how much money your parents have — or don’t have — in their checking account aren’t going to be the deciding factors of whether or not you are successful,” he asked.
Serra said the state’s budget woes “didn’t happen overnight. It goes back to (former governors) Ella Grasso, Bill O’Neill, (Lowell) Weicker to (John) Rowland to Jodi (Rell).” He refers to the budget’s bottom line as the “money pie.”
“It’s only so big, and there are various organizations that will compete for that money, so we have to hear from you,” Serra said.
Lesser said there are two different philosophies of what the state should prioritize. “We definitely need to turn the state around. The question is: Do we do that by growing the economy from the top down or from the bottom up?”
“I never wanted to run for office, but I see a need in my community,” Steinhauser said. “I see that working families, children and seniors in my community are underrepresented in Hartford. I’m running to be a voice for them.”