Forum A productive meeting with state Sen. Fasano

The people of Connecticut have long been willing to lend a hand to those who are less fortunate — yet the outcome of the last national election, combined with our state’s current budget crisis, has cast serious doubt on our ability to maintain this commitment. In response, some local residents have come together and formed a group, the North Haven-Wallingford Progressive Action Network (NOWPAN), to defend this commitment through political action.

Our group, which is now 150 strong on Facebook, has been meeting online and in local coffee shops to discuss how we can make a difference.

Our first major action took place last Wednesday at the North Haven Recreation Cen- ter, where we met with state Sen. Len Fasano, who graciously agreed to take the time to speak with us; he was accompanied by an aide and state representative David Yaccarino.

Some 60 members of NOWPAN turned out for the event, local residents of various ages and backgrounds, some with much experience in politics, some attending their first-ever public meeting. After a round of introductions group members stood up and asked the senator questions based on their own knowledge and personal experience.

On several issues the senator and our group saw nearly eyeto-eye.

For example, he asserted that education is a right, agreed with the court finding that Connecticut’s education funding scheme is unconstitutional, and noted that school district central office salaries are too high. While personally opposed to abortion, he stated his position as pro-choice and opposed defunding Planned Parenthood. On immigration he held that we should allow undocumented immigrants to live and work in peace, and that deportation should be reserved for those who have been convicted of felonies. He also indicated his willingness to stand with other state leaders in speaking out against hate crimes, and noted with pride that he helped confirm the state’s first Muslim judge.

We also had some clear differences of opinion.

For example, a proposed bill would create a paid Family and Medical Leave system in Connecticut that would benefit sick people and families with newborns and bring us into line with our neighboring states, like New York and Rhode Island, which offer similar programs; but the senator felt that this would impose a burden on small businesses and that the funding for it would be diverted to other uses. Governor Malloy has proposed a cut to the estate and gift tax which the senator supports, arguing that this would be offset by other revenue and would keep the wealthiest taxpayers from changing their residence to another state, thus shrinking the tax base; the group generally regards this as a tax cut for those who least need one.

Finally, there several issues where we felt more information was needed. When asked about changing the current policy for domestic violence arrests which has both parties being taken into custody, the senator wanted to know more about the problem. In turn, the senator requested that the group look at his urban plan, which speaks to the needs of the state’s cities.

Questions about how the state would respond if or when there are changes made to “Obamacare” also remain open, since the nature of those changes is unknown.

It was on the whole a very productive exchange, which left us with a great deal to ponder and to follow up on. We would like to thank the senator for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with us and hope to have similar opportunities in the future. We also invite other local residents to join us through our Facebook page. Democratic government needs participation if it is to thrive!