Kennedy, Wilson Differ On Tolls, Undecided On Right-To-Die

Democratic State Sen. Ted Kennedy, Jr. and Republican businessman Bruce Wilson, Jr. engaged in a brisk and lively debate last week, agreeing with each other that the state’s education financing structure is broken and disagreeing on the use of tolls at the state’s borders. Each candidate agreed that any proposed right to-die legislation needs to be examined carefully.

A number of the questions raised dealt with seniors in part because their first debate was sponsored by the AARP and the League of Women Voters. (LWV).

About 200 people came out to hear the debate between the two candidates, who were back on stage for the first time since they debated in 2014 when they first ran against one another for what was then an open State Senate seat. The debate was televised by BCTV.

The hour-long debate was held at the Guilford Community House on Church Street in Guilford, a classic New England town first settled in 1639. The two candidates will hold their second and final debate tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 25, at Evergreen Woods, a retirement community at 88 Notch Hill Road, North Branford. The LWV will oversee this debate as well, which begins at 7:30 p.m. 

Kennedy, 55, won his first race for elected office in 2014. He is currently co-chair of the legislature’s Environment Committee. He was quick to point out that ​“every single bill he put forward in 2016 received ​“unanimous or near unanimous bi-partisan support… I believe in consensus building,” he said. Click here to read about Kennedy and click here to read about Wilson.

Overall questions from the League and from the audience covered a range of topics, including rising seas, the state budget crisis, keeping businesses in the state. 

Kennedy, who lives in Branford, is seeking election for a second term in office. Wilson, 52, who lives in Madison, is now serving on the Madison Board of Selectmen and is running a new business in New Haven. He wants Kennedy’s seat. Kennedy represents the 12th District, which includes the towns of Branford, North Branford, Guilford, Madison, Killingworth and Durham.

Tolls at State Borders

There was one only one point when the audience was asked to weigh in on a topic. The topic was tolls. Wilson said he is opposed to tolls at Connecticut’s borders. ​“We already have a mileage tax and it is called the gas tax. And if we stopped raiding the revenues from that tax we would have enough money for us to keep our roads and bridges in good shape…”

Kennedy offered a different view. ​“I think it is time for state of Connecticut to consider border tolls, not within the state but at the borders. We need to capture the revenues whizzing by, filling up in Rhode Island and driving right beyond us.”

He added, ​“There are millions of cars every year using our roads. You know what I’m talking about. Every other surrounding state has tolls, except Connecticut.”

He agreed that Connecticut has one of the highest gas taxes in the nation. ​“Prior Democrats and Republican are guilty of raiding the fund…. I voted for a lock box in last legislative session,” Kennedy said. ​“I think the people would be willing to pay a little more so that money is safe and locked up and go toward fixing roads and bridges.” He went on to say that ​“our infrastructure needs dramatic improvement” in order to help businesses and labor… ​“Not enough funding is going into our roads.”

Wilson asked to reply to Kennedy’s statement. ​“Here is what troubles me: The notion that everyone will willingly and happily pay another tax. We are not talking lowering taxes, here.” Wilson paused for a second and then said, ​“Let me see by a show of hands who would be willing in this audience to pay for it.” 

Many hands shot up. Wilson became quiet. Kennedy said, ​“I do think people are willing to pay for this.”

Candidates Agree ECS Formula Fails

Both Kennedy and Wilson agreed that the state’s Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula, the public financing laws to fund public schools, was broken.

Wilson said, ​“We have a broken education system in the state. The legislature has ignored it. There is no plan other than to throw money at school districts. No plan to look at how great schools do it. Our education gap is very real in our cities…. We have to talk about education gaps.

“As the judge pointed out, we are spending without a plan,” Wilson said, referring to a decision by Superior Court Judge Thomas Moukawsher last month that found the ECS grant formula unconstitutional.

Chief Justice Chase T. Rogers has accepted petitions by Attorney General George Jepsen and the lawyers for the plaintiffs for a direct review by the Supreme Court of different aspects of the trial judge’s decision. The state Supreme Court will hear an expedited appeal of the judge’s ruling that the distribution of education funds is unconstitutional.

Kennedy said he found himself ​“actually agreeing with many of the observations” Wilson made regarding the ECS formula.

“We could spend more money and what kind of impact would we receive as a result? We have one of the best school systems in the world right here in Connecticut. I agree with Bruce, the ECS is irrational, incomprehensible, and probably unfair. It is really hard to tell. Right now the town of Madison gets about $525 every year per student while Hartford gets about $9,500 per student. …We are already doing a lot of what the judicial judgment asks us to do, to drive money to the lower performing districts. It is hard to disentangle the issues of educational performance with overall issues of poverty.

“And that is why this has to be dealt with in a more comprehensive way. And we should not expect the teachers to solve every single problem that we have in our communities.” Wilson agreed, saying, ​“Our education gap is real in our cities. But until we start to talk about the education gap, we are just throwing good money after bad. We are spending the money without a plan.” 

Not Yet Ready on Right-to-Die Law

Neither candidate seemed ready to move forward on this bill though it has become law in some states.
 
​“No, I will not support Connecticut’s right to end life bill its current form. We need to look at other states,” Kennedy said. A longtime disability health attorney, Kennedy said this type of law ​“could disfavor those in the disability community. Many of these people feel they are a burden,” he said, adding they could try to end their lives rather than be a burden.

Wilson said, ​“This is a big one.” He said he had talked to former Democratic State Sen. Ed Meyer about his proposed bill. ​“His legislation was very thoughtful and centered on life-ending terminal illness. But I am concerned about the possibility of abuse,” of family members seeking to end Dad’s life ​“so they could get their inheritance.” He said he needed greater understanding of the proposed bill, but that philosophically he would not be against it.

In summing up, Wilson said that that it was now time to change the Democratic rule, to change the way the state operates. ​“Folks are going the wrong way. That is not negative; it is just honest…. Send me to Hartford, and I will find a better way to confront these problems head on,” he said to a round of applause.

Kennedy, whose father was the legendary U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, said he was proud to be a Democrat. ​“This does not come as any surprise to the people in this room. …I have actually a plaque in my office, he said, one he keeps on his desk. It says, ​“Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer but the right answer.” He said the quote came from his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, Jr. ​“I will follow that credo. I will listen to all. Together we will work for a better Connecticut,” he said as folks applauded long and hard.

Claire Sauer, the League of Women Voters moderator, told the audience, ​“It is nice to know in this political atmosphere we can still have a civil and interesting discourse.” 

The audience agreed. Kennedy reached over to shake Wilson’s hand. Sauer reminded the audience that the polls are open on Tuesday, Nov. 8, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The LWV will also oversee a public debate between the 102nd state rep. candidates, Democrat incumbent Lonnie Reed and Republican candidate Chris Kelly on Thursday, Oct. 27, in the Branford Fire Headquarters Community Room at 7:30 p.m.

All debates are open to the public. BCTV television will televise the debates.
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