Welch gets the GOP nod in the 31st

Press release from Jason Welch, the Republican state Senate candidate in the 31st District:

Jason Welch Receives Republican Nomination for the State Senate Race in the 31^st District

BRISTOL, CT – Jason Welch was nominated to be the Republican candidate for the 31^st State Senate race this evening.  He was nominated by Tom Barnes, whose nomination was seconded by Mary Alford of Bristol, Tom Zagurski of Plymouth, Kathy Pugliese of Plainville and Tim Bobroske of Harwinton.

Bobroske stated that “The Democrats have had the majority for many years and their leadership has failed us.”  He alluded that Welch’s opponent, Senator Colapietro, was a career politician that did only what he was told to do by Democrat leaders and special interest groups.  By contrast, Bobroske stated that Welch has the interest of the neighborhoods of the 31^st district in mind.

Welch accepted the nomination stating that “President Reagan said that ‘All great change in America begins at the dinner table’, which is exactly where this campaign began.”  He continued to describe the decline of the State over the past 18 years (Colapietro’s tenure), noting that

·     State unfunded liabilities grew from $11 billion to $60 billion (or from $3,000 to $17,000 per person);

·     State government grew 20%;

·    Private sector grew 2.4%;

·    Connecticut is second in job losses only to Michigan; and

·    Connecticut is the only state in the nation that had less jobs in 2006 than it did in 1986.  

Welch identified Connecticut’s problems are deeper than the recession and indeed stem from a concentration of power with a select few within the Democrat party.  He identified Senator Colapietro as within that group and as part of the problem.  As evidence, Welch cited Senator Colapietro’s 2007 speech in support of mandatory unpaid sick leave, where Colapietro said that  that “[i]f you’re going to close because you can’t afford six days a year, and give people a decent working wage, the[n] you ought to move down south or oversees.”

Welch reiterated his plan for Connecticut, which included, cutting spending and taxes, reducing burdens on employers; ending government promotion of itself and private agendas; reducing state government; modernizing government employee benefits; and relieving towns from the more than 1200 state mandates.  Welch also stated that we must continue to protect and provide for the truly vulnerable and needy of our fellow citizens.

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