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Fiscal Crisis the Top Issue

There’s a single, overarching issue in this election: the fiscal cliff. Connecticut taxpayers are looking at a more than $4.6 billion deficit in the upcoming biennial budget. To date, my campaign has knocked on more than 7,000 doors, and we hear the struggles people are contending with every day. While I’ve been talking with concerned voters all over the district for months and years about the deep and troubling fiscal issues facing our state, my opponent Norm Needleman is rolling out a shopworn, identity-politics smear campaign. As I wrote this, the Needleman campaign dropped a reported $86,000 into the race with a massive TV ad buy. This amount by itself nearly eclipses the entirety of my campaign, which unlike my opponent, must abide by the restrictions established in the Citizens Election Program.

During my three terms in the State House, I’ve been consistently on record calling attention to the problems with our budget. My constituents have come to rely on me to lead on the issues that affect them. Unfortunately my friends on the other side of the aisle have a history of leaving the critical budget vote to the last hours of session.

If elected as state senator, I’ll be ready to walk into the Capitol on day one as someone who understands the committee process and how the current (albeit flawed) budget process works. I’d love nothing more than an opportunity to return to working in bipartisan good faith on our budget. My citations here are just a few examples of why I feel we need to have a Republican majority in the Senate; parity in representation is the ideal of good governance. Among voters, our fiscal crisis is the top issue. I should know, I’ve been listening.

Voters can follow my campaign at facebook.com/ctsenate33 or melissaziobron.com.

State Representative Melissa Ziobron (R-34)

East Haddam

Melissa Ziobron is the Republican candidate for the 33rd State Senate District.