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Hartford Needs New Ideas, Not the Status Quo

Luis Cotto

October 27, 2011

It’s a good thing there is not a world-wide ink shortage because Mike McGarry never fails to waste some in his weekly column in the Hartford News, which is otherwise a delight to read. An increasingly common theme in McGarry’s carping tripe is the Working Families Party and its Minority Leader on the Hartford City Council, yours truly.

The biggest difference between McGarry’s Republicans and the Working Families Party isn’t a difference of philosophy. The difference is that we have ideas and he doesn’t. It’s that simple. For years McGarry’s Republicans – like Republicans on a national level – have been the party of “No.” Healthcare reform? No! Jobs bill? No! Extend unemployment benefits? No!

At a local level the issues are different, but McGarry’s unceasing negativity is on par with his party’s national leaders.

At Working Families, we have a different approach. Instead of always saying no, instead of making excuses for the status quo, we’re trying to make a difference. That means having proposals, policies, and legislation that can improve people’s lives. I’ll be the first to admit that some of our ideas are better than others. But at least we’re trying to make things happen.

I don’t expect anyone to agree with me 100 percent of the time. But if you disagree, at least make it about substance, not name calling. Mike McGarry might not like our ideas – like living wage jobs, and campaign finance reform. But most Hartford voters do.