{news} Burton challenges Stripp to debate

[David Bedell]

Burton challenges Stripp to debate, criticizes his voting record in House

The Redding Pilot, October 7, 2004

Nancy Burton, Green Party candidate for the state 135th House District seat 
has challenged the incumbent, John Stripp, a Republican, to a debate on the 
issues.

“My opponent has spent 11 years in Hartford joining a minority of extremists 
to vote against healthy food for our children, voting rights and campaign 
finance reform,” Ms. Burton said in a prepared release.

“My opponent’s voting record reflects true loyalty to what he regards as his 
constituency: the big banking, insurance and utility industries,” Ms. Burton 
said. “When elected, my voting record will reflect true loyalty to the 
public interest.”

An analysis of Mr. Stripp’s voting record, she said, “reveals that Stripp 
has voted along Republican Party line on most issues – except where he has 
veered off and taken extreme positions eschewed even by the Republicans,” 
Ms. Burton said.

She cited the following examples:

“(1) He voted against healthy food for schoolchildren! (Public Act No. 
04-224); (2) He voted against a bill that would have allowed election-day 
voter registration, a reform which other states have enacted and which has 
brought more people to the polls!; (3) He repeatedly voted against campaign 
finance reform!; (4) He used his leadership position repeatedly, but 
unsuccessfully, to squelch General Assembly debate!

“Over all, my opponent has compiled one of the worst records in the House of 
Representatives on health care, voter rights, corporate responsibility, 
labor and consumer issues,” Ms. Burton said. “He always votes against 
increasing the minimum wage, just as he favors electric utility companies 
against consumers. He voted against requiring companies receiving economic 
development funds to be accountable for creating jobs. He even voted against 
requiring certification and licensing of lead abatement workers to protect 
young children from lead poisoning.”


“It is true that I belong to a party that is outnumbered in the Connecticut 
House of Representatives. This makes protecting our towns, jobs and the 
Connecticut yaxpayers' pocketbooks a challenging effor,” said Mr. Stripp in 
a prepared response.

He added:

“· Ms. Burton does not seem to have a grasp on what unfunded mandates do to 
our towns and school systems. Apparently, she would be for more burdensome 
unfunded mandates on the taxpayers of the 135th District. She even wants 
unwilling taxpayers to fund her campaign and mine. I reject that notion.

“· Her party also supports master planning and zoning decisions. I would 
rather put my trust in our hard-working friends and neighbors who know our 
towns and graciously volunteer their time for these sometimes thankless 
boards.

“· It would appear that Ms. Burton does not understand that a healthy, 
robust Connecticut economy is good for all of us who live in the135th 
District. If our state is not perceived as being business friendly, our 
economy will quickly atrophy and we will all suffer.

“I have always viewed myself as a believer in continual evolutionary 
improvement of all aspects of life in our state,” said Mr. Stripp. “It 
appears Ms. Burton is a person who would rather bring our systems of free 
enterprise, jurisprudence, as well as town and state governance to its knees 
so she can rebuild it in the image of her party that came out of the 
tumultuous 1970s in Europe.

“I am committed to working to improve the state of Connecticut on a 
day-by-day basis so that we can always look toward a future that is 
brighter,” Mr. Stripp said.

Ms. Burton said in her release that she is committed “to the fundamentals: 
The clean air, clean water and clean government to which we are all 
entitled. I advocate healthy food for our children, making it easier for 
citizens to vote, and campaign finance reform,” she said.

“A vote for John Stripp is a vote for special interests.” Burton said. “A 
vote for me is a vote for the people,”

David Bedell, secretary of the Green Party’s Fairfield County chapter, has 
contacted Mr. Stripp to invite him to debate on the issues.

Mr. Stripp’s voting record is available at the Elect Burton campaign office, 
73 Redding Road (Route 107) in Redding (just east of Route 57), Ms. Burton 
said. Office hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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