To the Editor:Editor's note: Will Duff (R) is the Second District State Representative for Bethel and parts of Newtown, Redding, and Danbury.

I recently attended the Pizza and Politics night at Famous Pizza in Bethel, hosted by Second District Representative Will Duff. Although I found some of his ideas - especially on the issue of renewable energy - were interesting, overall my reaction ranged from disappointment at the lack of substance to alarmed at the extremism of his positions.

The theme for the evening was two-fold: Connecticut has no money and everything that is wrong with the state right now is Governor Malloy's fault. I know that the familiar refrain in national politics is that it's the other party's fault; I had hoped to hear more solid and substantive solutions from our state representatives.

He spoke briefly about gun control, emphatically stating that he feels gun legislation as it stands now is onerous. He casually dismissed efforts by the governor and senators to curb gun violence as their "pet peeves."

After more than an hour of pointing out that spending and taxes are too high, he finally offered some solutions. The only area of spending that he mentioned specifically for cuts is state employee pensions and the abuse of overtime rules. Cutting pensions and eliminating some taxes are the great Republican panacea, and they are the only cure in his medicine chest.

More alarming were his statements about women's health issues. He dodged a question about a series of bills introduced by Michael McLachlin requiring an ultrasound before an abortion, saying he had not had a chance to read them yet. He then went on to say that he believes insurance should require women to pay out of pocket for birth control, labeling such medical care a "luxury" instead of a necessity. His blanket dismissal ignores the crucial health care many women rely upon, and is indicative of broader policies against Planned Parenthood's significant role in health care.

The Second District Representative was careful to hit the standard Republican talking points, but he offered little in the way of the real, thoughtful, and innovative leadership that our state and the times demand.

Sincerely,

Rick Magee

73 Linda Lane, Bethel         February 20, 2017