Brookfield Republican state Representative Stephen Harding is seeking another term in office. Democrat Daniel Pearson is looking to unseat Harding in the district that also includes the Stony Hill section of Bethel. Pearson was raised by a single mom, in a low-income area and says he saw the effects of public policy first hand. He works for a non-profit that provides free after-school and summer program for impoverished kids. Pearson wants to put Connecticut on a fiscally stable path, while making a bright future for the state.
Harding says the same issues that prompted him to run in a special election in 2015, still need work. Harding says the state has become more unaffordable and needs to move in a fiscally responsible way. He wants it to be a place that’s affordable for both young families like his and for his retiring parents.
Harding touted a stop to cuts proposed in the last budget, which would have impacted Brookfield and Bethel. He says that funding was restored in the approved budget. Harding also touted a constitutional spending cap and having union contracts coming up for a legislative vote before being enacted.
Pearson says politicians need to think long-term, not 18 month increments. He wants to see smart investments, not just spending cuts for the sake of cutting. Pearson says that every dollar invested in education, job training, infrastructure and health care will result in a 10-fold return. He says there are some vital services provided by government that should not be cut.
When it comes to 8-30g housing laws, Pearson thinks there are aspects that need to be tweaked, He doesn’t think a 7-story development should be placed in towns like Bethel or Brookfield, but does think towns need to take initiatives to address shortages of affordable units. He notes that affordable isn’t just housing vouchers, but units that are income-restricted for people like a single mother or nurses and teachers. Pearson says several professions where people are above the poverty threshold, but well below what it takes to actually live in the towns where they work. He’d like to see that shortage addressed.
Harding believes there’s movement in changes to the 8-30g affordable housing laws. He proposed legislation to modify the law and wants to continue to make more headway. He says the housing law doesn’t make sense and contrary to what affordable housing principles are supposed to be.
Harding opposes electronic tolling as a financial burden on residents who commute, and a detriment to the economy in the Danbury area because of out-of-state visitors to the mall. He supports measures to lock transportation funding into transportation needs.
Pearson agrees that there should be a lockbox for transportation funds. But he says it has to be defined so the money in there actually goes to infrastructure improvements. Pearson wants to see funding set aside for high-speed rail, bridge replacements and to bring the state into the 21st century. Pearson called tolls a regressive tax. But he added that the money Connecticut will get from tolls will grow the economy more than the burden of those tolls. He wants to find other options, but would support tolling. He says that puts the state’s future ahead of a political win in the present.
Harding championed a bill to fund area lakes to combat invasive species. He and other colleagues looked at what funding was available and wasn’t being used. Harding says the Community Investment Act fund was tapped to address the issue. Harding wants to continue work to preserve the water quality of Lakes Candlewood and Lillinonah.
Pearson wants to work to strengthen environmental laws to prevent sewage from getting into the waterways. He also wants to help lake authorities have the resources to do research to find out best solutions to protect water quality. He notes that Candlewood Lake is the reason he lives in Brookfield.
Harding says the Board of Regants for Higher Education are expanding the bureaucracy of the state colleges, forcing tuition hikes. He wants to cut the redundancy, questioning why the university presidents have to report to another layer of administrators when there is already oversight.
In the Stony Hill area, Pearson says residents have expressed concerns about property taxes, and education. He says quality of life will be improved with strong k-12 education. He proposed universal pre-k as a way to attract businesses and to increase property values.
