Where We Vote: Lamont Leading Up To Primaries
Ned Lamont is leading in a race for the Democratic nomination for Governor
Ned Lamont is leading in a race for the Democratic nomination for Governor. But that race is tightening.
The latest Quinnipiac poll puts Lamont’s lead over Dan Malloy at only 9 points, despite greater name recognition, and a bigger campaign fund.
Lamont says he supports the state’s public financing system, but has opted not to take part – he says he can use his money to take on another wealthy candidate, Republican Tom Foley in the Fall.
Lamont’s been covering the state, talking to residents about his plans for jobs and education – but much of the recent media coverage of his campaign has been about his reluctance to debate Malloy one-on-one.
Today, where we live, we’ll continue our Where We Vote series – and give you one more chance to ask questions of Ned Lamont before the August 10th primary.
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Frankly it's more complicated than one and two minute soundbytes...Good back and forth with followup is a great way to reintroduce yourself to people.
Comments
DEBATE
Mr. Lamont, I only know of one head to head debate you engaged in with Mr. Malloy. Please tell me the others that I missed. I cannot vote for you if you don't show up for your "callback" interview. Or is it that you feel confident enough that you have bought the position already. Secondly, you lack of understanding on the educational issues facing the state is unacceptable. So debate and prove us wrong.
Listener Email from Michael
How can you even think about pursuing the governor's office when you aren't willing to present your ideas in an environment that will challenge them? Doing that is what life, both in general and in public office is all about. It is not about using your personal fortune to blanket the airwaves or flood my mailbox with glossy mailings. You not being willing to put your ideas in a forum where they can be questioned, evaluated and contrasted with your Democratic opponent Dan Malloy tells me you won't stand with your ideas against a Republican in November, or even against the Connecticut State legislature.
(I work as a senior analyst at Simba Information, a market research firm studying the publishing industry, and have noticed a disturbing trend of companies and other entities only delivering their messages in a controlled environment, and it is outright harmful. Ned Lamont is essentially doing the same and it is seriously undermining democracy)
Listener Email from Susan
Why, as voters who are concerned about our state, its financial situation, social issues and job creation needs, should we vote for Ned Lamont when he won't even show up for his job interviews? Televised debates are the opportunity for many of us who work, have families and other commitments that might keep us from attending a campaign event or DTC meeting, to hear the candidates discuss these issues in a public forum, where voters can compare responses from the two candidates running for the highest elected office in our state.
I want to know why he won't extend voters the courtesy of participating in a debate. For politicians running for elected office, a debate is akin to a job interview. I know, and I imagine that I'm not alone, that I've never gotten a job by NOT showing up for an interview. Why should we give him the job as our next governor?
Listener Email from Amy
Regarding the situation with fee supported project initiatives such as the Preserve the Sound license plate program and Harkness State Park restoration:
If I bought one of those special license plates because I want to support preserving the sound, my money should go toward preserving the sound. At Harkness State Park they’ve gradually been restoring the beautiful buildings there, partially by renting those spaces already restored out for weddings and events and then using the rental money for further work. These are fee based special project initiatives, and they work well. At Harkness they had saved closed to $750,000 from these efforts to restore the greenhouse on the estate.
I understand Rell has confiscated these funds and tossed them into the state’s general operating fund and that all future fees will not go to support the special initiatives but into the general operating fund.
It is wrong to take tax money to fund special projects like these if we’re having trouble paying our more basic services, and it seems unlikely there will ever be money free from the general operating fund to return to these projects, but it seems very wrong to prevent these iniatives from funding themselves by service fees, and a bit like theft. Wouldn’t this be considered false advertising or fraud if it happened in a private business?
Where does Mr. Lamont stand on this issue?
Listener Email from Clay
I'm a Connecticut small business owner. At one point we had 12 employees. We now have two.
With respect, I think Mr. Lamont is missing the #1 deterrent to hiring:
red tape. When we had 12 employees, we spent 1/3 of our revenue on the basic tasks of tax compliance and HR: following all the rules set forward by state and federal agencies. We also lived in constant fear of violating a law that we didn't even know about.
Once we were hit with a $15,000 fine for accidentally paying the wrong amount for Workers Compensation for ONE employee. We spent months getting the state to reduce the penalty to $1,500 -- even though we had only underpaid by 44 dollars.
Large companies have full-time employees and other resources to deal with all the red tape. But small companies are literally snuffed out by it.
Listener Email fom Gordon
I am appalled Mr. Lamont is running for governor and seems totally unaware of CT's Health Care Reform Law, Sustinet!
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