Connecticut’s image problem
In this summer of 2018, the public image of Connecticut tilts closer to that of the woeful New York Mets, who wallow in last place, than to the first- place Boston Red Sox or the second- place New York Yankees, the teams with the best records in Major League Baseball. If you’re a Mets fan, you at least know the slate will be cleared at season’s end. Hope can again spring eternal in 2019. Faced with crippling pension liabilities and a teetering infrastructure, Connecticut can’t clear the scoreboard so easily. But it will have a new manager when Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s successor is elected in November. The field of seven candidates will narrow on Primary Day on Aug. 14.
The Hearst Connecticut Group Editorial Board pitched questions to each of the candidates, who not only are divided by parties, but divide into the camps of politician or businessman.
On the Republican side are Westport tech CEO Steve Obsitnik; Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton; former Trumbull First Selectman Tim Herbst; former UBS Investment Bank Chief Financial Officer Bob Stefanowski of Madison, and former hedge fund manager David Stemerman of Greenwich. The Democratic primary pits Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont against Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim. Lamont and Boughton are endorsed by their parties.
In coming days, we will publish excerpts from the candidates’ comments on issues such as gun safety, transportation, Malloy’s legacy and their plans to heal the state’s ailing economy. We start today with their views on Connecticut’s image, from their perspective and from that of residents they meet on the campaign trail.
If there is a common thread to their responses, it’s that none of them ignore Connecticut’s place in the basement of national rankings that rate states on matters of business- friendliness, cost of living and, yes, governors.
Even when the candidates offer similar responses, they distinguish themselves by the way they choose to answer the question. Herbst speaks about Connecticut’s image through the lens of his own life. Stemerman recounts conversations with discouraged state residents and business owners. Boughton focuses on the state’s identity crisis. Obsitnik circles silos that divide communities. Ganim mentions the distress as a municipal leader he shares with citizens. Stefanowski underscores the need to halt the flight of residents to other states. Lamont notes the state’s positives while maintaining he is not Pollyannaish.
Voters have nine days to choose a team. We encourage everyone to take a closer look at the lineup.