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10/03/2016 07:19 AMAs the incumbent Democratic candidate for Branford’s 102nd District state representative, Lonnie Reed said she wants to continue to offer her experience and legislative leadership, and sees fostering a “holistic” and optimistic approach as the best way to help lawmakers tackle issues facing the state.
Now in her fourth consecutive term, Reed is House chair of the Energy & Technology Committee and a member of the Finance, Revenue & Bonding and Planning & Development committees. She co-chairs Long Island Sound Caucus, co-chairs the Life Sciences Caucus, is a member of the Manufacturers Caucus and of the Shoreline Preservation Task Force, and serves on the bi-state Long Island Sound Committee.
Connecticut completed the fiscal year (2015-’16) with a $170.4 million deficit. Reed said she recognizes the continuing deficit trend can’t continue and will work to help change the budget process and budget structure. She said Hartford needs to create a budget Ways and Means Committee rather than filtering requests through the current process.
“We have an Appropriations Committee [and] we have the Finance Committee, instead of having everyone on one committee to really work it comprehensively,” said Reed. “You really have to deal with it holistically, and I think it’s one of the issues that we’ve really had in Connecticut.”
In addition to restructuring the budgeting process, Reed said built-in items need to be reviewed, and fickle revenue from financial markets and gambling can’t treated as “windfalls,” especially given the “boom and bust” economy.
“Instead of looking at it all as windfalls, you need to put some of the money away for a rainy day. We need to budget knowing [boom and bust] is going to happen. We need to go to the structural deficit in the budget, which has been plaguing Connecticut for years and years,” said Reed. “Long before I got to the legislature, there were built-in demands to the budget that just year after year got put in again. And it’s both parties. It’s not all Democrats. At appropriation hearings, every line item has a constituency—every single one. So we all have to get honest about that, and go there, and start figuring it out.”
Reed recently voted to approve the state’s $220 million, 15-year financial incentive deal with Sikorsky Aircraft. She said Connecticut’s fight to keep or gain big industry is in direct competition with “right to work” states such as South Carolina and Florida and factors including a global movement toward automation, as well other states’incentives.
“We were able to figure out something out by giving these tax breaks, sales breaks, and incentives to make it possible, [but] the other states are sweetening the deal and offering incentives, too. The level of competition is incredible,” said Reed. “So we’ve really got to come to the table. We really have to work harder as a country, federally and working with the states, to start dealing with these issues. And again, holistically, so we’re not beating each other up as separate states trying to outcompete each other by out-sweetening each other’s deals. We’ve created a whole new frontier out there [and] ultimately, that’s not sustainable.”
Reed said one positive helping Connecticut compete is quality of life, with lowered crime rates, unparalleled medical care, educational opportunities, a clean environment and assets such as a multitude of beautiful state parks.
“We’re still one of the top states in terms of quality of life,” she said. “So you need to make it a more economically inviting environment, but you cannot forget we do a lot of stuff really, really well.”
Reed said she is sensitive to issues facing her constituents such as senior citizens with shrinking, heavily taxed finances and residents burgeoned by high property taxes.
“One of the things we’re fighting for is to stop taxing Social Security,” said Reed. “For most people, to tax their Social Security is pretty appalling—but they’ve done it. We need to just remove that completely. There are things that we need to do to make it a lot more affordable, and not to terrify seniors and make it impossible to stay in Connecticut and in their homes because they’re going to get taxed. We’re actually looking at all of that.”
Regarding property tax burdens, Reed said, “Again, trying to deal with this holistically: How do we make this work better? Right here in Branford, more than 50 percent [of the town budget] is for education. Is there a better way to fund education that can also help lower property taxes for residents?”
While she’s seeking a fifth term, Reed pointed out, “I’m not a career politician.” The Branford resident’s a former investigative journalist in newspaper and television in Hartford and New York. Prior to winning her first state representative term, Reed was a three-term Representative Town Meeting (RTM) member. She’s worked for large corporations and as president of her own TV documentaries and specials company.
Having voters return her to Hartford for four consecutive terms has helped Reed to gain traction as a legislative voice and leader, she said.
“In terms of being a committee leader and a committee chair, I’m sort of in a small group. I’m also in a small group of women,” said Reed. “This is one of those things where experience matters, and the more you know, the more you not only can fight for something that’s fairer to everyone, but the more you know how to protect your district, because [experience] and having a level of seniority puts you in a position to negotiate from a stronger position.”
The 2016 state election includes 22 open House of Representative seats, of which 20 were vacated by retirements. Reed said she welcomes “fresh faces” and new ideas to Hartford. She said a mix of generations in leadership is a good thing, as shown by her collaborations with first-term House members Sean Scanlon (D- 98, Branford and Guilford) and James Albis (D-99, East Haven) and Branford State Senator Ted Kennedy, Jr. (D-12).
“It’s really nice to have fresh faces and fresh perspectives,” said Reed, adding young representatives are in tune with “all the stresses that are happening to their generation” from paying off college loans to finding ways to afford buying a first home and raise families here.
“It’s important to have that [reflected] in the legislative body and have them speaking for those folks. I now have grandchildren, and listen our own kids and watch them work so hard to make their own way. So that brings it home much more powerfully, as well,” said Reed. “It’s really good to have all of us in there, working together, and trying to speak up for the various constituencies and generations that we represent.”
Her role in Hartford has put Reed at the forefront of the state’s continued biotech industry growth, including a growing number of companies based in Branford.
“So there’s a lot going on, but we have problems, too. I’m not trying to paint a rosy picture,” said Reed. “We have problems, we need to go there, we need to fix it. But we’ve also got a lot to offer.”
Reed said she prefers to operate as an optimist.
“I know it helps when I reach across the aisle to my colleagues,” she said. “We’re realists, but I think when I look around at people that get things done, they’re optimists. You have to think it’s possible, or you create a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure. I co-chair the Biotech Caucus, so it’s not unusual for me to be around a lot [of] lively minds, and every single one of them is an optimist. They’re seeing what’s possible and they’re coming up with what’s possible. Pessimists can point out problems, but optimists are what get you through.”