Date: Fri 25-Oct-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

candidate-profile-Stripp

Full Text:

Candidate Profiles - John Stripp

B Y K AAREN V ALENTA

Republican John E. Stripp is running for his third term representing the 135th

State House District. He sits on the House committees for appropriations,

commerce and banking.

"I fought for tax and spending reductions and other incentives to encourage

business growth and expansion that have begun to turn our state's economy

around," he said. He noted that as a result, he has been endorsed by the

Connecticut Business and Industry Association, the state's largest business

organization.

"The Appropriations Committee has done an outstanding job trimming the size of

state government, while not cutting the muscle," he said. "The growth of

spending in terms of inflation is now below zero, compared to a 20-year

average of 8 percent per year. "We're now getting into a better position to

help business."

The state income tax is being whittled down, corporate taxes are being reduced

and the inheritance tax is being phased out, all of which are encouraging

people, and businesses, to remain in the state, he said.

With his son, Rep Stripp operates two natural foods stores, The Natural

Merchant in Southbury and Nature's Merchant in Wilton. He has a master's

degree in management from Columbia University, served five consecutive terms

as a selectman in Weston, and has chaired Weston's Board of Finance and Land

Acquisition Committee.

Rep Stripp served on the board of trustees of the Devil's Den Nature Preserve

and said there is a crucial need for this type of open space to provide enough

acreage for wildlife habitat. "A 100-acre preserve is much better than 100

little woodlots," he said. "I'd like to see towns be more aggressive in buying

land - we may be at the edge of our last opportunity."

Current regulations set aside only 10 percent of a residential development as

open space, but the time has come to revise the regulation to 25 percent for

developments of six or more houses, he said. "The location of half of the land

should be determined by the town, half by the developer, and it can't be

wetlands or ledge," he said.

He also proposed that if a town wanted to, it could sell as much as half of

the land back to the developer to help offset the fiscal impact of providing

town services to the new housing development.

Rep Stripp also favors allowing accessory apartments to count toward a town's

quota of affordable housing, something the state currently does not allow

unless there is a deed restriction of 25 years. He would support a five-year

deed restriction, but a proposed amendment to that effect was defeated.

"It's wrong to put affordable housing in one area," he said. It's better to

integrate it into the community. Accessory apartments do that. It enhances a

community and is strictly voluntary."

Magnet schools should be a big part of equalizing education statewide, he

said, but busing should not be any part of it except what is required to

transport students to the magnet schools.

More money may have to be spent on city schools, but it has to be spent much

more effectively, he said. He supported a limited voucher bill which would

have created a pilot program providing vouchers to a small percentage of

students who are below the poverty line. He also supports the concept of

alternative schools to remove kids with disciplinary problems from the regular

classrooms without expelling them from school.

The state's new welfare reform legislation is the right approach, he said,

because recipients are phased out and into employment. But job training help

has to be there. "Society has a moral obligation to provide jobs, that's why

economic development and job growth are so crucial to the state," he said.

Regarding gifts from lobbyists, Rep Stripp said he voted for a "zero

tolerance" bill but as long as such gifts and campaign contributions from

political action groups are legal, he won't refuse them.

Events sponsored by lobbyists and corporate interests provide an opportunity

for legislators to talk without the political pressures of the Capitol, he

said. "I don't see legislators who will change their vote for a $250

contribution."