The two major mayoral candidates each agree that convincing state lawmakers to lift costly mandates on municipalities is crucial for Bristol and other cities.
“Fund the mandates or do not force them on municipalities like Bristol that face severe budget shortfalls over the next few years,” said Republican mayoral hopeful Mary Alford.
“We do not need gasoline in the form of mandates thrown on the budget fires,” she added.
Mayor Art Ward, a first-term Democrat who is seeking reelection in the November 3 election, has been one of the most visible local government leaders pushing state legislators this year for action.
Ward said he remains baffled why the Democratic-controlled legislature and Republican Gov. Jodi Rell have done so little to lend cities and towns a hand in these cash-strapped times.
Ward said that lifting unfunded mandates “costs nothing” for the state but would do more than anything else to ease the financial crunch on Connecticut’s municipalities.
Alford said that “any new state unfunded mandate can force drastic changes. It is up to those in power in Hartford, the Democrat majority, to take action that will save jobs and preserve public services.”
Ward said he has begged legislators to explain why they won’t back mandate relief, but they never offer a real answer.
Alford said that “if the Democrats in Hartford proceed to pass more unfunded mandates, it will become a greater hardship than already exists for budget makers next year and in the years to come. Give us a break, Hartford.”
Ward said he’s glad to have support from Alford. He said he hopes the General Assembly listens to the bipartisan voices in every town and city that are calling for relief.
The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities has been pushing for mandate relief as well.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
17 comments:
Is Mary backing Artie??
Is there any difference between the two, other than experience?
Ward is talking out of both sides of his mouth - he is real good at that. Trying to act like he cares about her help. Such BS.
Kyle,
Ward obviously has a lot more class than some folks.
"Class" is not the word. Selfish, short-sighted, and vindictive, but not "class".
12:04pm you got that right. That is Ward for sure. He called the bozo's for the Dem party names all the time, now he kisses their butts. Artie is a two-faced, no good bum.
Lets see the City will elect another Union loyal, beer guzzling, been in City politics to get a easy paycheck person again.
It appears that class is something foreign to most of the overgrown children on this blog. Pity.
Just calling him as we see him Mr Anonymous.
Art, do you think that Alford will help you after November?
Roger,
The insults and name calling say nothing about him and everything about you and the other petulent children on this blog...juvenile and pointless.
Sorry, just calling it like I see it. ;0)
Steve who does Mary Alford work for?
In today's day and age of politics, and as cynical as Stortz was as mayor..after all he was the 1st Mayor in history to get a vote of no confidence from the City Council, I'm glad to see that the candidates are talking about unfunded mandates.
At least both candidates Ward and Alford are talking about issues that have and will effect us.
I'm a Republican and at least Art Ward knows what an unfunded state mandate is..now if his Democratic State Senator Tom Colapietro only knew.
Ward needs all the help he can get.
I don't know that I agree that stortz was cynical, but he sure did a better job than Ward is doing.
We elect someone to do the job, not be an eternal campaigner.
Wish Stortz wouod have runa again.
Are choice in this town is Alford this town needs a change.
He doen`t write anything on his own he needs all the help he can get
Mary, just what mandates would you eliminate?
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