The case for change in House District 146

We’re reaching out to our friends and neighbors who wouldn’t normally vote Republican with our shared concern for state district 146 representation and the candidacy of George Hallenback.

The 146th state house district represents Shippan, the South End, and downtown Stamford. It has greatly benefited from representatives such as Gerry Fox III and Moira Lyons, who have served us in the past. During their tenures these individuals have been among the most respected and well-liked representatives in Hartford and earned broad support in our community from Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters. Their success was a result of their ability to provide the “block and tackle” work of constituent services and each were widely recognized for their dedication to our community.

It’s important to understand that current freshmen representative David Michel has failed to live up to this tradition. During his very short tenure Michel has put narrow special interests ahead of our community. As a result our city and state have suffered. Michel’s poor performance and lack of vision for the future is of great concern and we are asking the Democrat and unaffiliated voters of the 146 not to return Michel back to Hartford.

Michel has given ample warning that he’s not well-suited for these responsibilities. There are many reasons for his failure but we would ask you to consider three listed below before casting your vote on Tuesday:

FAIL: During the height of the COVID pandemic, Michel voted for union wage increases: Michel supported a 5.5 percent across the board wage increase for unionized state employees. This expenditure amounts to roughly $353 million in additional taxpayer money. He did this at a time when 36,000 small businesses had to close due to COVID-19 and 140,000 tenants in Connecticut could not make rent payments and faced eviction. For someone who says he cares about our community’s most vulnerable, his actions do not line up with his words.

FAIL: Voted to exempt union state workers from Family and Medical Leave payroll tax which will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2021: The recently passed Paid Family and Medical Leave program is funded by a payroll tax on Connecticut workers. Although the program benefits all workers, Michel argued that unionized state workers should be exempt from the payroll tax that goes into effect on Jan 1, 2021 to fund this new program. Michel argued that the state’s 1.45 million private-sector employees should cover the cost of the state’s roughly 250,000 employees. Actions like these destabilize small business owners and continue to drive employers away from the state. FAIL: Voted against private

sector technology jobs: Connecticut is exploring adoption of 5G in a smart and controlled manner which could mean considerable private-sector jobs for our state (which could come at no better time). 5G technology has wide bipartisan support in Hartford and has the potential to create countless economic opportunities in the future. It is estimated that by 2035 5G will add $13.5 trillion to the global economy. Michel was the ONLY state legislator (Democrat or Republican) to vote against 5G technology in Connecticut.

With all that’s taken place in the world this year Stamford sits at a crossroads and has unprecedented opportunities for business and community growth. Our elected leaders, whether Democrat or Republican, need a shared coherent vision that works toward this growth. It is clear that Michel’s actions, his voting record and the legislative agenda he touts have demonstrated the opposite.

Our neighbor George Hallenback is Michel’s opponent. George had an impressive career in the private sector and has been a long-time resident of Shippan. The incidents outlined above wouldn’t be issues for voters of the 146 if Michel was following in the proud tradition that has been set for generations. We know George shares a forward vision for a great future for our community and the state of Connecticut and he will deliver what we need a way that David Michel has failed to do.

For these reasons we request your serious consideration on behalf of George in this year’s state representative race for 146th district.

Andy Wainwright is a member of the Stamford Republican Town Committee; Bradley Michelson is the District 1 member of the Board of Representatives and Garrett Bewkes is on the Connecticut Republican State Central Committee.