Encourages Consideration Of State Candidates
To The Editor:
As we approach the upcoming election for the Connecticut State House of Representatives and Senate Newtown voters have a meaningful opportunity to shape the future direction of our community. These races matter — not only for the immediate issues before us but also for how our town’s priorities and values will be represented in Hartford for years to come. We are fortunate to have strong candidates in each race, which makes it even more important for voters to take the time to understand who they are and what they stand for.
I encourage every resident to look closely at each candidate’s position statements, qualifications, and party affiliation. These elements reveal a great deal about their beliefs, their approach to public service, and how they would advance our concerns. Elections are not just about personalities; they are about ideas, principles, and the kind of leadership we want representing us. Examining what each candidate says — and how they say it — provides insight into how they would represent you and Newtown in Hartford.
This election reaches beyond the usual scope of local issues. Decisions made at the state level influence policies affecting our schools, our infrastructure, our environment, our economy, and our long‑term resilience. In many ways, these races touch on matters that extend well beyond our town borders. That is why this moment carries a higher meaning. The choices we make now will shape not only our community’s future, but also how Connecticut responds to challenges that affect us all.
I urge voters to read, listen, and engage. Attend a forum, review candidate materials, and talk with your neighbors. Then vote your instinct — guided by your values, your priorities, and your hopes for Newtown’s future.
This is a real opportunity to influence who represents us in Hartford come November, and for many years to follow.
Bruce Walczak
Newtown
Bruce, your advice that voters should “read, listen, and engage” would be much more persuasive if you practiced it yourself.
You campaigned on openness and responsiveness. You declared that “evasive answers or silence are unacceptable in government” and promised to answer constituent inquiries within two days. Yet you never answered my straightforward public question about Main Street demonstrations, traffic disruption, pedestrian safety, and the effects on local businesses.
After taking office, meaningful public engagement has largely been replaced by “Brews with Bruce” at the Senior Center—requiring reservations and, for some residents, a day pass. That is not accessible, townwide engagement. Previous first selectmen held open coffee hours and walk-and-talk sessions that any resident could attend.
Then came the failed storm communications, your apology, and another promise to communicate better—followed shortly afterward by more silence while multiple police agencies conducted a significant search near Saw Mill Road.
You now tell voters to examine what candidates say and “how they say it.” I would suggest going one step further: compare what politicians promise while seeking office with what they actually do after winning.
Your record presents a stark contrast. You told voters exactly what they wanted to hear to get the job, then failed to live by those promises. Whether that is dishonesty or simply indifference, it is the same familiar, two-faced politics you once claimed you would replace.