To The Editor:

I support Rob Blanchard for the 28th District State Senate. His qualifications are extensive particularly in State government, municipal government, budgeting, and communications. At the State level, he served as Chief of Staff to CT State Comptroller, Sean Scanlon, was Deputy Communications Director and then Director of Communications for Governor Lamont, Senior advisor to Governor Lamont’s re-election campaign, served on Fairfield’s Representative Town Meeting and was Deputy Majority Leader, and on the Zoning Commission. His experience includes budgets, bonding, land-use, education funding, and property taxes.

Rob is among the most qualified candidates ever to run for the 28th District State Senate. Now that Rob has moved from Fairfield to Newtown, it is even better for Newtown. As a husband and father, Rob understands the financial pressures on families — food, housing, and healthcare. Newtown will now have a voice.

Contrast his opponent, Amybeth Laroche. Laroche gave a recent interview to the Stamford Advocate. She derided the car tax and went on about how she received a tax refund and had to use it to pay her car tax. Trouble is … the investigative reporter discovered she hadn’t paid her Newtown car tax! She eventually paid it, late. Aside from raising questions of veracity, she has been sitting on the Newtown Board of Finance since last December. We expect better from our elected officials. Further she confused the car tax going to the State. It doesn’t, it goes to the municipality to reduce property taxes. Granted, she’s on the learning curve of the Board of Finance, but the town car tax revenues are reviewed at the two monthly Board of Finance meetings. Laroche appears to be a nice person, but she’s clearly not close to qualified for the State Senate position.

Please vote for Rob Blanchard on November 3.

Tom Miskelly

Newtown