The Milford-Orange Times is continuing its election-year tradition of asking the candidates to respond to questions about what they would do for the residents of Milford and Orange if voters elect them. Election Day is Nov. 5.
Q: What do you think are the greatest challenges facing the district right now, and how will you help address them? Be as specific as possible.
State Rep. Mary Welander, Democrat, District 114 (Incumbent)
Mary Welander
A: It was hard to decide what to address in this response; while there are many concerns that are impacting more community members than not, I know that there are specific issues that if addressed would make a huge difference in the lives of some constituents. At the same time, the ways that most of these challenges need to be addressed to see meaningful change requires broad actions coordinated on a federal, state and local level. Unfortunately, there are no easy fixes, but there are steps we can take together to make things better.
To start, and to be very personal, things are just way too difficult for the middle class. We need for individuals and families to feel confident that they and their children can succeed and get ahead, not just get by. In order for that to happen, people need to feel safe and secure.
I recently had someone say to me that “stress is corrosive,” and right now too many of us are feeling constant stress over what is happening in our daily lives. That is eating away at our ability to look ahead with confidence.
One way to increase that feeling of security is to create a pathway to access to safe and affordable housing that meets the current needs of residents. We have an example right here in town with the new Lascana Homes of how a project can be successful when there is community input, the needs of the target demographic are considered, and when there is respect for all stakeholders throughout the process. We know we have a great community and that our young people want to stay here (or come back), but they can’t find anywhere to live, so they relocate and spend their money elsewhere. Seniors who are looking to downsize but stay in their hometown can’t find an affordable option, so they stay in a home they can’t maintain and their lifelong investment suffers. Companies can’t recruit employees if there aren’t suitable housing options for them. Improve the housing opportunities responsibly for both buyers and renters and the entire community will benefit.
Another major concern is the increase in everyday costs. As the parent of three teenagers, we are facing sticker shock every time we go the grocery store, even more than we anticipated. And I know we all felt the hit of the utility bills this summer. The state needs to empower the office of the attorney general to prosecute companies that implement intentional price gouging and we need to add more “teeth” to bodies like the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority so they can behave like the consumer watchdogs they were intended to be. We need to write consumer protections into law so that the insane rate hikes we saw recently aren’t able to happen again. I have already suggested to leadership in the House a proposal that if a similar rate increase were to be proposed before the current Millstone agreement expired, it would require a certain period of notification time (for example, six billing periods) and the additional costs would need to be spread out over time. These kinds of protections should have been built in from the beginning, but they weren’t. It is our responsibility to put them in place now, and insist that the governor fills all five appointments in PURA with at least one being a consumer protection expert.
Finally, our schools need to be properly funded. The state has made historic investments in education over the last few years, but they have not been permanent investments. We need to be more consistent in providing another pillar of stability by committing to fund the educational needs of all of our students, rather than leaving districts and towns unsure of funding levels. This challenge specifically needs an increase in federal funding for special services costs. More children than ever are requiring extra supports to be successful; the distribution of costs needs to be updated with the federal government actually contributing their fair share. This funding also needs to extend beyond academics and take into consideration everything a child needs to be successful, including mental and behavioral supports, access to nutritious and reliable meals, and enrichment programs. Proactive approaches allow for early interventions that keep concerning situations from getting to crisis points, which is better for the child, the school and the budget. We, like so many others, moved to Orange for the schools and have been so happy with the education and support our children have received. I want to make sure that future families are also given this great opportunity.
I never promise anything that I can’t guarantee to deliver, but I can promise to continue to work hard for everyone in the 114th District and do my best to serve my communities with honesty and integrity.