Election is over, let’s get to work

The voters of the 33rd Senate District have chosen me to be their advocate in the state Senate for the next two years. The depth of my gratitude to the voters and hundreds of volunteers who helped throughout the campaign is beyond my ability to express.

The electioneering is finished, and now we will confront the hard work: getting the state back on track, and securing a fair share of support for the towns in our district. My opponent and I differed in our approach to addressing those issues, but we agreed that the core challenge is restoring the state’s financial health and economic vitality. There is no quick fix, but, in my view, the path we must travel is clear.

We have to bridge the partisan divide that stands in the way of good ideas and sensible solutions. Partisan politics have crippled our state, and it should be obvious by now that retreating to an ideological corner is lethal to the kind of cooperation we badly need. As I said throughout the campaign, I will work with anyone who is committed to finding real solutions, regardless of political affiliation.

Renovating our approach to developing revenue projections and budgets is vitally important, but is not the only component of the path to recovery. As importantly, the state needs a comprehensive economic development plan that clearly defines strategies and tactics for creating jobs. We need a plan that builds a compelling and durable appeal to businesses of all sizes — a plan that creates a marketing and communications framework for coalescing the state’s many attributes and advantages into a compelling message.

Without a comprehensive plan, the road to economic vitality will be random and reactive, instead of well-directed and focused.

I will tirelessly advocate to make certain that every town in our district receives its fair share of support from Hartford. The perspective I have gained from real-world experience in budgeting and managing town and business operations will add both credibility and impact to the voice our towns have in the Senate.

But we also need to address issues that go beyond the state’s finances. We can never stop advocating for measures that address the quality of life in our towns: women’s issues; primary, secondary and higher education; benefits to our seniors; support for small businesses; and job training for the thousands of unfilled, high-paying technical and manufacturing jobs.

I make the same pledge to those who voted for me and to those who didn’t: I will listen to your concerns, I will give you straight answers, and I will never stop working for you. The challenges and the issues that concern you will always be my focus.

It is time to bridge the partisan gap and start on the road to finding solutions. I’m optimistic, because I believe all of us recognize that we have to set aside our differences and truly work together. That’s the approach and the attitude I will bring to Hartford as your state senator.

Norm Needleman, Essex First Selectman; senator elect, 33rd District