Democratic trashing of Gov. Rowland unacceptable

By: Shawn Nottage

Posted: 9/9/02

"DEATH TO THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS!" It sounds like something one would hear during one of those fantasy role-playing games. It is not. This was one of the epithets used to describe incumbent Conn. Gov. John Rowland at the recent Democratic Convention. There is a fine line between the usual campaign mud-slinging and being downright nasty.

Billy Curry and his direct supporters have shown they are the latter of the two: nasty. A liberal activist, Ned Coll, the invocation speaker at the Democratic Convention, not only referred to Rowland as "the prince of darkness," but went on to tell supporters he was a "snake." It appears to me, Coll and any of his supporters, are the snakes. Coll was not showing his support for Bill Curry, the Democratic candidate for governor. He was directing unnecessary and unacceptable insults at Rowland.

Many readers may not realize just how spiteful Curry is. Perhaps Curry is green with envy; after all, Rowland did defeat Curry in the 1994 gubernatorial race.

Curry's 1994 campaign, which highlighted tax cuts as the focus point, obviously did not work out. It looks like he and his cronies are taking a different direction in 2002, and that will be simply insulting.

This guy has a lot of strength to be so unpleasant when speaking about a man who has masterfully led our state into the 21st century. Rowland deserves respect. To see him berated by a man who is interested only in himself and his votes is sickening.

What is worse is Curry's direct ties with corruption. Curry's running mate in the 1994 race was much-maligned and now indicted former Bridgeport Mayor, Joseph Ganim. Ganim was arrested on 54 counts of election law violations and later sued for embezzlement. Fifty-four counts! This is a man Curry was prepared to take into office with him if he was elected in 1994. Curry seems to have a hand in this corruption as well. During his tenure as State Comptroller he was caught using his tax-payer-funded car on personal vacations. The Democrat, Curry, in his infinite wisdom, defends this act by pointing out that other state-elected officials also have been found to use their state cars for personal reasons. This is quite the defense. I hate to say it, but if all of your friends jumped off of a bridge would you?

Democrat Curry has directly opposed any new casinos being brought into Conn. He recently said, "We are choosing our economic future. A company often comes to Connecticut for its beauty, its school systems and its quality of life. If we go with casinos, we're mortgaging our future." Curry clearly isn't thinking about all the good these casinos have brought to our state over the past decade. Tourism rates have risen and hundreds of thousands of jobs have been created. The money these casinos have brought in has done nothing but accelerate Connecticut's economy. The casinos are establishments that could start a business boom in currently struggling areas such as Bridgeport. Here is a tip from this humble writer: do some research Mr. Curry, before you speak. Your stance on economic growth in Conn. could grossly affect your support come election time.

Curry has also recently proposed a $730 million tax-cut in a time when Conn. is experiencing a large budget deficit like many other states since Sept. 11. Sure, we would all love to pay less property tax every year, and I'm all for it, but not during a state budget deficit. It sounds to me like Mr. Curry is simply trying to appeal to those voters who get tingly inside when a candidate says those two magic words: "tax cut." How can he justify a tax cut in the middle of a budget deficit? I will tell you how: to gain votes. He will not follow through on any such tax-cuts if elected--he can't. It will go by the wayside as a campaign promise, nothing more. This tax-cut is an economic centerpiece of his campaign. I find it rather sad that Bill Curry's "economic centerpiece" could put this state deep into economic trouble.

Enough with the "Why Not Curry?" issue. We have seen that his entire campaign is a complete farce. Why Rowland? The answer is simple. Look at his track record. The facts speak for themselves. First off, Conn. is a great place to live on all fronts and will continue to remain this way as long as Rowland is our leader. On an issue that directly affects all of us at UConn: Rowland has appropriated over a billion dollars for UConn to thrive long into this century. This shows he is still support education, and is devoted to continuing Connecticut's commitment to excellence in education. You cannot argue with results.

Rowland's track record is not merely economically sound; he has been a great asset to Conn. in ethical issues as well. He signed the Megan's Law Bill, which protects our children from convicted sex offenders. He has signed Truth-In Sentencing Legislation, which would force criminals to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences before parole eligibility. He has tightened standards for accelerated rehabilitation to prevent class A and Class B felons from being eligible. During Rowland's stint, more than 300 additional social workers have been hired to look into cases of child neglect and abuse. It's simple, if you want a man who cares about you, vote Rep. John Rowland for Gov. come November. If you desire a man who cares only about being elected, a man who will prove to make empty promises, if you want Connecticut's economy in shambles, then choose Democratic candidate Bill Curry. But of course, the choice is yours.