The Daily Campus recently sat down for a telephone interview with Brien Buckman, the UConn sophomore running for state representative for District 54, Mansfield-Chaplin. Buckman currently serves on the USG. Here is an abridged transcript of the interview.
DC: What kinds of lessons did you learn in USG? How did those experiences shape your campaign?
Buckman: Effectively, I manage close to a million dollars. I appropriate that money to student organizations. It is my job to do that, responsibly, ethically and as transparently as possible ... abiding by all the rules, regulations and laws that we have to follow. So, I definitely believe that experience of doing those things has transferred over to my campaign and has really influenced how I believe our state government should function. In addition, the officer is a management role. So, I manage the funding board and the people in it. This level of responsibility, I think, has been one part of my decision to transfer these ideas over to the state level.
DC: What is the biggest issue for District 54? If elected, how would you resolve it?
Buckman: When you look at the 54th district, which is the district of the state representative position ... one of the biggest issues affecting those areas is property taxes. Both towns are on the top-50 percent of the mill rate, basically the property tax rate in the state ... especially with people who are going to be staying in the town a long time, this isn’t something that district 54 needs. And it is important that the state take on financial responsibilities which it should be responsible for.
DC: How do you feel that the university’s interests are represented in Hartford, and do you think that there is adequate funding for higher education?
Buckman: Denise Merrill, who is retiring from the seat and seeking the secretary of state position, has been very pro-education and I have been happy with her level of leadership. I do think that there absolutely should be, again, a larger portion of education costs placed on the state since [UConn] is a state university. I really do feel that as time goes on as and the state continues to put a cost on students and their families, we’re not going to see that come back. In other words, five, ten years from now, when the state has relatively recovered from what is happening economically, we’re not going to see the state retake [the financial burden placed on the students]. I absolutely believe that it is essential that we have a very strong voice in Hartford that says that is not acceptable and that the state needs to maintain the financial burden that it is supposed to.
DC: If you could have lunch tomorrow with any politician, a current day one or one who lived in the past, who would it be and why?
Buckman: It would be with Governor Rell. She has obviously played an enormous role in the budget and higher education. She appoints the majority of the board of trustees for the University of Connecticut. I would like to talk to her about why she has acted the way she has during her terms and why she stands by the actions that she has taken. I definitely believe that she has a point of view that what she is doing is for the good, and I would like to learn about her understandings and her conceptions of higher education and really reach out to the republican leadership because I don’t think it’s appropriate to move forward on state action within a single party.
DC: How do you feel that other students have perceived your campaign? How do you feel that the community has perceived it?
Buckman: The campaign is just starting so I’m not sure how many people are aware of it. We are looking for the UConn community to be very involved. We will be working this semester, the summer and hopefully fall semester – we really want to get UConn students and the UConn community involved. Hopefully, individuals will be able to get academic credit for working on the campaign. I’m hoping that as time goes on, we can educate the UConn community on how important it is to support somebody who is really pro-higher education and who is going to stand up loudly in Hartford to represent the community.
In terms of the Mansfield and Chaplin community, I’d suspect that there are concerns. Many individuals in [this region] see UConn as separate from the Mansfield-Chaplin community. But I certainly hope they will certainly recognize that I won’t just be representing UConn, I will be representing the entire community.
DC: A Daily Campus editorial claimed that UConn and the surrounding towns exist in two different spheres. Do you believe that is the case or what can be done to bridge those spheres?
Buckman: I absolutely believe that it’s perceived to be the case. But, I don’t believe that it is the case. The actions of one community absolutely affect another. Obviously, topics like Spring Weekend involve the whole community and need to be part of a larger discussion and dialogue when it comes to community issues. Because the bottom line is that, and this is sort of the mantra of my campaign, is that community issues require community solutions.
DC: Two major of the criticisms of the campaign right now: some people perceive that you have limited experience and also the residency factor, the fact that your hometown is South Windsor, I believe, but that you hope to represent Mansfield-Chaplin. How to you plan to respond to those concerns?
Buckman: It is absolutely untrue that I haven’t had political experience. I have worked in the state’s attorney’s office, I’ve worked with numerous legislators, legislative liaisons – I have had a lot of political experience. I have not worked for 20 years in the system, but I think that’s to my advantage. I think that it is important that someone is elected who hasn’t been part of the system so that we have new ideas in the legislature and a new perspective.
In terms of residency, I do not live in South Windsor. My parents don’t live in South Windsor. My siblings don’t live in South Windsor. Bottom line: I don’t live in South Windsor. I have lived my entire life about 10 minutes down the road from the University of Connecticut. I’m very familiar with the area, I have lived there and I understand community issues of the area.
DC: What would you say to other UConn students running for political office?
Buckman: I know at least two University of Connecticut students who are running for office in their hometowns and I would absolutely encourage them to do so, especially when we have new problems in our state system that require a new type of thinking... It can absolutely be said that the experiences of people who are in or coming out of college today have [created] very different mindsets than those in the political system for 20, 30 years. I think those same mentalities that have been in the system are the reason why you see so many legislators and individuals in government retire because they are dissatisfied with current political thinking.
DC: And this is a very political question for you – very political – what is your favorite flavor of Dairy Bar ice cream?
Buckman: That’s a tough one. [pause]. Can I take two flavors?
DC: Absolutely.
Buckman: Usually I do the combo – I do mint chocolate chip and chocolate chip cookie dough. By the way, the Dairy Bar should combine those flavors into one. We should have mint chocolate chip cookie dough.
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