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Raise Your Expectations
By Tom Sevigny, Canton
Tom Sevigny is Green Party candidate for State Senate in the 8th Senatorial District.
Over the past few weeks I have attempted in the pages of The Voice to convey my vision for the future of Connecticut. As many of you know, our state has more problems than it deserves and more solutions than it deploys. Yes, there are indeed solutions to the problems of high taxes, urban sprawl, health care, environmental degradation, and many more—none of these problems are inevitable if we challenge the status quo.
One look at Senator Herlihy's record and it is obvious that he is a defender of the status quo. He is a leading opponent of campaign finance reform and legislation to clean up the Sooty Six, and has said nothing about the problems of excessive property taxes and urban sprawl that affect so many citizens who live within the 8th District. What we need are visionary and innovative ideas that deal with these complex problems in a whole new way, not the same old stale rhetoric and simplistic sound bites that citizens usually get from politicians.
More than visionary and innovative ideas, however, we need people to raise their expectations. For too long citizens have been frustrated and angry at the unresponsiveness of their elected officials. Many people simply feel that government can do nothing right anymore and believe that government does not work for them. They are right, of course—but the answer is not to disengage from politics but to reengage in the political process and to ultimately reinvigorate democracy. We should demand more from our elected officials and our government—that is what I mean by "Raise your expectations." The time is now for new ideas and a new vision for Connecticut. Don't settle for the status quo!
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