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Community Corner

A New Governor with the 'Fairfield County Experience'

With a Disconnect Between Hartford and Fairfield County, the State's Next Governor Will Hail From This Region and Could Narrow the Divide

A hotly contested race in Connecticut for the governor's mansion has come down to two men – former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy and Greenwich businessman Tom Foley. While both unabashedly say they are legions apart when it comes to policy and platforms, they share one commonality — residing in the heart of lower Fairfield County.

It's been 15 years since a governor hailed from this part of the state — with Lowell Weicker of Greenwich serving from 1991 to 1995 — and as a result, a disconnect has emerged between Hartford and Fairfield County,  according to Gary Rose, chairman of Sacred Heart University's Government and Politics Department.

Rose said having a governor from the region will narrow the divide.

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"In many ways, Fairfield County is regarded by the rest of the state as a suburb of New York – many people who live in the area work in New York City and pay taxes to both New York and Connecticut," Rose said. "By most accounts, Fairfield County is probably the least connected of the eight Connecticut counties to Hartford. I think you'll find many people in Fairfield County are more concerned with the decisions being made in Albany or by New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg."

For many Fairfield County residents, the county is simply a place to sleep. But Rose says that Malloy and Foley, who have lived the "Fairfield County experience," each understand problems such as congestion on the area's highways. Rose, who has authored several books on Connecticut politics, said Malloy's experience as a big city mayor will also lend a sensitivity to the achievement gap between students in urban versus suburban areas.

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"Having a governor coming from Fairfield County will be interesting to observe in the coming years," he added.

Chris DeSanctis, who also teaches political science at Sacred Heart University, said a Fairfield County resident occupying the governor's mansion will be an asset to the region, which he thinks will trickle down into more aggressive action on transportation issues such as continued investment in mass transit and easing congestion on Interstate 95 and the Merritt Parkway — both of which resemble parking lots at rush hour.

"Our next governor also will be familiar with the troubles that face Metro-North," said DeSanctis, who has dabbled in running for political office, seeking a seat in the General Assembly in 2006 and, earlier this year, losing the Republican party nomination in a caucus contest.

"In light of the traffic issues which confront this part of the state, and our next governor's familiarity with these issues, it would not be surprising if Dan Malloy or Tom Foley devote a considerable amount of time, energy and resources toward improving transportation in this area of Connecticut," DeSanctis said. "The development of a light rail system in Southern Connecticut could be the end result."

DeSanctis agreed with Rose that Fairfield County has often been regarded as an extension of New York and that many of its citizens are more familiar with the Empire State's politics than the challenges confronting lawmakers at the state capital in Hartford. "There's a disconnect for sure," DeSanctis added.

Malloy said that he would invest in mass transportation and wants to see more development of new commuter lines from New Haven to Springfield, Danbury to Milford or New London to Worcester, Mass.

"That ultimately has the potential to boost our economy," said Malloy, who also wants to have a mass transit system in Fairfield County that closely resembles New York City's — which operates virtually 24 hours.

Asked if he favors bringing tolls back to the state, Malloy said he wouldn't support tolls unless it was directed only to transportation investment in highways or mass transit, and wouldn't want the revenue in the hands of Connecticut's legislature.

Meanwhile, Foley said he's dead set against the implementation of tolls in Connecticut, comparing them to another burden for the state's already tax-weary residents. "Tax-and spend policies have proved that they don't work," he said.

Foley said his administration would invest in transportation infrastructure to help grow jobs, and he would want to see more local control on any infrastructure development.

Darien resident Jim Cameron, who is the head of the Metro-North Commuter Council, a creation of Connecticut's legislature, said he doesn't envy the next governor, who will be charged with making a multitude of hard decisions. Cameron praised Rell's commitment to transportation and mass transit following years of inaction by previous administrations, most notably during John Rowland's tenure.

"As bad as Rowland was when it came to transportation, Rell was the complete opposite, and when she came into office, she embraced the necessity of new rail cars, which will finally be coming into service this year," he said.

Cameron said while the Metro-North Commuter Council doesn't delve in party politics and candidates, he urges citizens to keep asking the gubernatorial candidates hard questions about transportation.

"We need to keep them front and center and we need ask for specific answers, not lip service. We often hear from candidates, 'We need to expand train service.' That is just a platitude, we need to know specifics," he said.

Cameron favors the reincarnation of tolls in the state, saying they make sense.

"I am happy to pay them myself and I think they would bring a tremendous benefit to the state," he said. "However, I know they are politically unpopular."

The head of the commuter council said another issue that needs to be addressed is the lack of parking at the local stations where waiting lists for a parking space can range from five to seven years in some cases. "The next governor really needs to focus on that," he said.

Bill Finch, the mayor of Bridgeport, the state's largest city, said what he wants is a governor who will invest in the state's cities, create jobs in them, fix infrastructure and invest in transportation.

"Fifty years ago, John F. Kennedy said a strong America depends on cities," said Finch, a Democrat. "Another president also said cities are not the problem but the solution." Finch said the state has been "tone deaf" when it comes to cities such as the one he leads.

"But votes come from the suburbs and suburbs elect candidates, and it really takes that leap of leadership to recognize that building up our cities solves many of our state's economic and even environmental issues," added Finch, who also served as one of the Park City's state senators until he was elected mayor in 2008.

Finch, who backed Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont during the primary, is now supporting Malloy.

"We need someone with a list of accomplishments, and there are a lot of cranes in Stamford," he said.

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