At the core of the Democratic message for Wilton is vision: a vision for our town that is prosperous, safe, inclusive, attractive to young professionals and senior citizens alike, welcoming to corporations such as ASML that contribute so much to our tax base, while still being the Wilton that draws young families to its livability and superb schools. It is a vision that is forward-facing, not backward-looking. For too long our town’s Republican leadership has chosen a stance that is reactive, rather than proactive, to critical issues such as our master plan of development, housing availability, and the attraction of corporate investment—even to the financial support of our schools. On too many issues Wilton is resistant when we should be collaborative. This costs us, and need not. With Democrats Ross Tartell (current member with two years left in his term), Rich McCarty (current member and running for a full term this November), and David Tatkow (running for a full term in November) on the Board of Selectmen, we will face the future with optimism, not fear, and build a stronger Wilton that embodies the values that have always made our town so desirable. With collaboration, not contention, Wilton will move forward.
Where We Stand…
Wilton’s town governance is off track.
The Republican-controlled Planning and Zoning Commission has adopted a legalistic defensiveness that cripples opportunities for regular Wiltonians to voice their thoughts about the pace and scope of development. Wilton’s Democrats favor development that keeps WIlton feeling like Wilton, and we recognize the absolute need to embrace community discussion regarding all of it. The five Democrats running for P&Z this November commit to finding new opportunities for community input, whether related to specific development proposals or to the broader strategic issues of how we want Wilton to look and feel in the next five, ten, and fifty years.
Town Hall similarly needs to get back on track. The frequency and severity of issues arising from the Republican-controlled Board of Selectmen is striking (difficulties finalizing budgets, loss of the CFO and Town Administrator, challenges with the Ambler Farm lease…). But most importantly, the Board of Selectmen has lost its ability to cooperate among themselves for the betterment of Wilton. Democrats Ross Tartell and Rich McCarty start with the belief that working collaboratively is essential to getting anything done, and especially if the goal is to get it done well. Rich and David Tatkow are running for four year terms this November. They are thoughtful, collaborative, know Wilton, and have deeply relevant professional expertise to put our town back on track.
Connecticut has a housing crisis, and its impact is felt even in Wilton. CBIA (Connecticut’s largest business organization) estimates that the shortage amounts to 100,000-150,000 units (or even more). CBIA asserts that the shortage is causing “a significant barrier to economic growth.” The demand for housing that is affordable for our middle income and working class neighbors is particularly acute. Solutions must start with local control, but too often our towns have not used their local control to do their part and the crisis is getting worse. Wilton needs housing that our seniors can downsize into, that young families can afford, that allow our first responders and teachers to live in our community, and that allow world-class businesses like ASML to expand. Solutions are complex, but kneejerk refusals and fact-challenged lobbying by groups like CT169Strong do nothing to find the right balance. Wilton has not found the right balance. Several similar, neighboring towns do much better. Wilton’s Republican controlled Planning and Zoning Commission utterly failed when they allowed Kimco to redevelop a huge parcel next to Stop&Shop with virtually no affordable units. That failure was on the heels of P&Z effectively forcing the developer of the Hubbard Road property (behind the Library) to throw up his hands in frustration and move forward under the sledgehammer of 8-30g. Most importantly, Wilton’s leaders need to sit down and with our whole community create a five, ten, and fifty year strategic view that will allow us to maintain what makes Wilton special, even as things change.
“We are socially liberal and fiscally responsible.” Democrats usually get credit for the first part of that sentence ,the latter is just as true.. Democratic Board of Finance members Sandy Arkell and Tim Birch embody that sense of responsibility and have the professional expertise to conserve tax dollars while at the same time appreciating the flip side of fiscal responsibility: that it requires investing wisely in Wilton and our schools’ future. Our November candidates, Eric Fanwick and Kari Roberts will continue that philosophy, bringing relevant town knowledge and significant workplace experience. Because Wilton schools are the magnet that brings so many young families to our town, it’s important that the Board of Education share this two-sided approach to budgeting. Chair Ruth DeLuca and Board members Nicola Davies, Pamela Ely, and Patrick Pearson are committed to doing just that. Nicola and Pamela are running for reelection this November; our schools will benefit from their continuing insight and quantifiable, demonstrated successes.
We believe that commitment to excellence in education is what defines Wilton and what makes our town so attractive to families from all over our country and even from other countries. We believe that nurturing that commitment and continually improving our schools is critical to our future as a town and to our children’s future. It follows that we embrace and defend local control of Wilton schools. Democratic Chair Ruth DeLuca and Democratic Board members Nicola Davies, Pamela Ely, and Patrick Pearson are committed to hiring the most dedicated and talented teachers and administrators, to supporting them, to benefiting from their knowledge and expertise. Our members of the Board of Finance (Tim Birch and Sandy Arkell) and our November candidates (Eric Fanwick and Kari Roberts)—are committed to managing the town’s finances with the schools uppermost in mind. We believe in parental involvement in our schools to provide direction to those professionals, without infusing politics or ideology in the curriculum or in the educational process. Our commitment to maintaining the best schools will give every student, regardless of specific talents, life desires, or backgrounds, the opportunity to reach their potential. It goes without saying that we decry efforts by Republicans to politicize education at the national level—where the Department of Education is being shuttered and world-leading universities are being demonized for cynical political purposes—or at the local level to seek to whitewash the teaching of American history as part of that national political agenda. Democratic State Senator Ceci Maher and State Representative Savet Constantine vigorously uphold Wilton’s right to make decisions about education in our town.
Democrats know that the vast majority of Americans support the basic principles of Roe vs. Wade, and embrace the defining American principle of separation of church and state. In light of the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe, and draconian actions of several states to criminalize reproductive choices—including continuing efforts by some Republicans in Hartford— Wilton’s Democrats vow to defend a woman’s right to make those decisions by herself in consultation with her physician and in according with her religious beliefs. We recognize child-bearing reproductive decisions are often excruciatingly difficult. But we do not believe they should be made by the state. We are proud of recent Democratic legislation, passed under the Lamont administration, and with the support of Attorney General Tong, that protects these reproductive rights. Democratic State Senator Ceci Maher and State Representative Savet Constantine will guarantee that women retain the right to make their own reproductive decisions. Connecticut’s Republican Party has not made the same commitment. As in many other states, Connecticut Republicans have proposed legislation to limit or eliminate women’s reproductive choices. We reject those proposals.
The United States is a massive, international outlier when it comes to gun violence. Our rate of firearm deaths is five times higher than France, ten times higher than Italy, and twelve times higher than Australia. The only countries higher than us include Venezuela and Honduras. Many gun deaths are from suicide, which we consider a double tragedy.
Wilton’s Democrats support the right of individuals to own guns, but we believe that background checks are both responsible and essential. We believe that arsenals of war are not contemplated by the 2nd Amendment. We support red flag laws, higher minimum age for purchase, measures to prevent “ghost guns,” and limits on the number of guns purchased at one time. We support greater mental health resources for everyone, but decry the use of the mental health issue as disingenuous when raised by the NRA and Republican politicians following violent tragedies. Perhaps most important, we insist that the Founders knew what they meant when they conditioned the 2nd Amendment with the words “A well-regulated militia…”
We support reasonable gun-safety measures for the protection of both citizens and police. Democrats Ceci Maher and Savet Constantine support stronger efforts on gun safety in Hartford. Our local elected Democrats know that public safety is a priority at the local level as well, and feel even more strongly that our schools must always be safe from gun violence.
Democrats believe that every vote on infrastructure, and indeed most votes on the economy, must consider environmental concerns. c, Environmental impact must be a key factor in any town planning decisions. Promoting and supporting renewable energy, be it in the form of wind farms or solar, and encouraging the use of electric cars and trucks to overcome our dependence on fossil fuels, are what we must do to deliver to our children an environment that will sustain them.
We are committed to ensuring that all members of the LGBTQ+ community feel safe and have the opportunity to thrive in Wilton and beyond, including in their schools, homes, and workplaces. We are committed to protecting the rights and liberties of LGBTQ+ members and we share in their Pride. Bullying and ill-treatment of LGBTQ+ kids continue, and its elimination remains a priority. We encourage government, civic organizations, and others to support measures that welcome the LGBTQ+ community and affirm their full equality.
