Nicastro, Del Mastro face off at debate

Republican state House hopeful Peter Del Mastro came out swinging Thursday in the 79th District debate held at City Hall.

Del Mastro said at the Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce-sponsored debate he feared for the future of Connecticut given its inability to create jobs, its high energy costs, its burdensome taxes and its stagnant population.

“Connecticut is sick today,” said Del Mastro, who is aiming to knock two-term state Rep. Frank Nicastro from office.

If people want more of the same, he said, they should re-elect Nicastro and leave the Democrats in charge.

Nicastro, a former mayor, said he’s proud of his record and declared that it’s time “to start talking up our state” instead of hauling it down.

“Too many people badmouth our state,” Nicastro said.

Nicastro said both Republicans and Democrats need to pull together and work for the betterment of Connecticut and its residents.

“I will put my record up for scrutiny,” Nicastro said. “You’ll see that I haven’t sat there. You’ll see that I haven’t been a yes man.”

He also said Del Mastro didn’t live in Bristol during his mayoral terms. “He doesn’t know what our record was” in bringing new business to town and holding down taxes, Nicastro said.

The two men differed sharply on a number of issues.

Del Mastro called for the state to consider privatizing some of its functions, including information technology and the motor vehicles department.

He also said the state has to bring government employee compensation back in line with the private sector.

Nicastro said the state may need to merge some departments and make cuts starting with top management.”

But, he warned, “we have to be super careful” to do it effectively.

“We don't want to put our citizens at risk,” Nicastro said. Click here for full story.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Del Mastro calls for 10% state tax cut

Open letter from Peter Del Mastro, the Republican state House candidate in the 79th District:
Chris Powell’s opinion piece in Sunday’s Herald Press was right on the money as it relates to areas of state spending that are on the radar screen for cost cutting.
However, one very important ingredient that is needed to get Connecticut’s economy humming again was neither mentioned in the article, nor have I heard it mentioned publicly by any candidates for state office. That ingredient is tax cuts.
With unemployment at nearly 9 percent and, by all accounts, a tepid economic recovery in our future, the new governor and a newly elected Legislature must take bold action to stimulate Connecticut’s economy and get its citizens back to work. Two things must be done quickly.
First, cut the state income tax by 10 percent or more to immediately put more money into people’s pockets.
This will have a stimulative effect on the economy because if people have more money to spend, by and large they will spend it.
Second, cut state business taxes by a similar amount. More money in the hands of Connecticut businesses, coupled with the increased demand for goods and services created by cuts in the state income tax, will enable them to expand, thus creating demand for more employees.
The stimulative effect of these two actions combined with spending cuts in the areas addressed in Powell’s article will have Connecticut’s economy growing vigorously in short order.
What was proven to work on a national scale during the Reagan presidency will work at the state level. All that is needed is to elect leaders with the courage to act.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Del Mastro: Nicastro, Dems 'sticking it to the people'

Press release from Peter Del Mastro, Republican state House candidate in the 79th District:
Nicastro Threatens More Of Same If Reelected
Bristol, Connecticut - July 28, 2010 - Peter J. Del Mastro, Republican candidate for the 79th District seat in the Connecticut General Assembly, responded as follows, to comments by Frank Nicastro (D) in a recent Bristol Press article written by Steve Collins.
“Frank claims he will not lose the General Assembly seat he has occupied for four years because people know Democrats stick up for middle class and working people. Stick up for them how? By raising State taxes and fees of all kinds? By accumulating a mountain of debt that will take generations to repay? By dumping unfunded mandates on the City of Bristol that must be paid for by local property tax increases? By catering to lobbyists and special interest groups that ply the halls of the Capital building? This is not sticking up for people, it is sticking it to people”
Del Mastro concluded, “Nicastro and his fellow Democrat incumbents have shown the people of Bristol what they can do when they are in power, and the people of Bristol are saying loud and clear ... Enough is Enough!!!"
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Del Mastro makes case for unseating Nicastro

Press release from Peter Del Mastro, the Republican state House candidate in the 79th District:

Del Mastro Gets GOP Endorsement For 79th District Race

Bristol, Connecticut - May 25, 2010  -   At its nominating convention last evening, the Bristol Republican Town Committee overwhelmingly endorsed Peter J. Del Mastro as its candidate for the 79th District seat currently held by Frank Nicastro, the Democrat incumbent.

During his acceptance speech, Del Mastro acknowledged beating Nicastro is a difficult task, but outlined a strategy that he believes will lead to victory in November.

Del Mastro’s campaign will have a two-pronged focus: Returning prosperity to the people of Connecticut, and returning fiscal discipline to the Legislature. He stated that we must have good paying jobs with great benefits if we are to bring prosperity to the State. In addition, we cannot allow government to take an increasing portion of taxpayer dollars. Otherwise, it will prosper at the expense of the people.

Del Mastro made his case, in part, by pointing to the two huge revenue streams that came on line in the 1990s - Slot Machine Revenue and Income Tax Revenue. Both have since been completely absorbed by tremendous increases in State spending, putting Connecticut back into financial distress.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Political newcomer takes aim at Nicastro

State Rep. Frank Nicastro, a two-term Democrat and former mayor, won’t get a free ride to reelection after all.

Republican newcomer Peter Del Mastro, a 66-year-old businessman, said Tuesday he’s taking on Nicastro out of concern that the state is in serious trouble.

“I’ve become increasingly concerned about what I see going on in Hartford,” Del Mastro said, pointing to lawmakers’ decision to put no money into a grossly underfunded employee pension plan, pulling cash out of the rainy day account and borrowing more money.

Del Mastro, 66, said he can provide leadership “to get this fixed” and to reverse the anti-business atmosphere in Connecticut that has undermined its competitiveness and clamped down on its growth.

Nicastro, a retired truant officer, has represented the 79^th District since upending longtime state Rep. Kosta Diamantis in a 2006 primary fight. Other than the first primary he ever ran in, Nicastro hasn’t lost a political race in more than two decades of public service.

Read tomorrow's Bristol Press for more.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com