Date: Fri 25-Oct-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

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Candidate Profile: Charles Noe

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

Charles A. Noe of Bethel is the Independent Party's candidate for the 106th

District seat in the state House of Representatives.

The newcomer to politics is running against incumbent Republican State Rep

Julia B. Wasserman of Sandy Hook for the post.

Mr Noe offered his views on the issues and his legislative priorities in an

interview.

Mr Noe said he wants to provide property tax relief to older people who have

low incomes, such as the "working poor" and retirees. Mr Noe proposes that

property taxes on primary residences and on motor vehicles for such people be

eliminated, provided that those people fall below certain income limits. The

government revenue lost from such tax relief could be covered by eliminating

foolish government spending, he said.

Also, state and local spending programs could be reorganized and recombined to

make up for decreased revenue, he said.

Mr Noe also wants the state to let local tax assessors change the way they

levy taxes against automobiles which are 10 years old or older. He wants the

state to let local assessors to use the "low" value for such vehicles rather

than the "high" value" as promulgated in listings published by the National

Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).

Mr Noe also proposes eliminating the state tax on personal income by enacting

spending cuts and by letting the number of state workers dwindle by attrition.

The candidate said the income tax can be phased out over a three-to-five-year

period.

Mr Noe urges that the public be notified of any new taxes proposed by the

government and be polled in a binding referendum on whether those taxes should

go into effect.

The Independent Party standardbearer wants state and local police departments

to spend more time investigating burglaries and drug crimes. State prosecutors

are bogged down prosecuting motor vehicle offenses, Mr Noe said. And motor

vehicle laws aren't strictly prosecuted, he said, adding that speeding

violators are sometime excused from prosecution provided they donate money to

the charities of their choice in lieu of paying fines to the state.

If society had police pursue burglary and drug investigations, those problems

would be minimized, he said.

Street crime decreases when police walk the beat, according to Mr Noe. Instead

of buying new police cars, police should put more men on walking beats, he

said. "Let's let them earn their pay," he said.

Mr Noe said he's working to prevent the sale of illicit guns on the street.

"You've got to have a civilized society," he said, adding that punishment for

serious crimes must be "horrific" if a society is to remain civilized. Mr Noe

said he favors the death penalty for convictions involving: murder; the rape

and molestation of children; and motorists who have killed others when driving

while intoxicated.

Such strict deterrents are needed to deal with serious crimes, he said. If

drunken drivers who kill people in accidents were to be given the death

penalty, the DWI rate would drop markedly and alcoholics would quickly seek

help for their drinking problems, he said.

Current criminal penalties for serious crimes aren't strict enough, he said.

The candidate said he favors the state conducting a standardized driver

retesting program under which motorists of varying ages would be retested on a

regular basis to confirm that they competent to drive.

"The only special interest group in the is country should be `We the people,'"

he said of the negative effects that special interest groups have on society.

"The ordinary little guy cannot get a fair shake anymore. The balance is gone.

We've got to bring that balance back," he said.

Mr Noe said, if elected, he will offer improved services to constituents of

the 106th District.

If elected, "common sense" would be the watchwords by which he operates, the

candidate promised.