Letter: Candidate says time to change status quo

An open letter from Israel Navarro:

Dear Voters:

On February 13, 2014, I filed paperwork with the state to become an official candidate for State Senate, representing the 25th Senatorial District which represents Norwalk and Darien.

Making the decision to run was an easy choice for me. Frankly, I want to challenge the status quo which has gone unchallenged for five-terms or 10 years. Connecticut has no term limit for the State Senate and part of the success of our democratic system relies on willing and able citizens to challenge the current norms. That is my plan and clear intention

Connecticut has been a home to my family for over 40 years and I have seen the amazing progress our cities have made. However, I have also seen and have experienced myself, the struggles. Among the struggles are the failure of representation and the failure to openly discuss the diverse issues and bills that will impact us.

Our current representation in the 25th District has gone against the ethos of our community – the worker. This is clear, given the voting direction taken on bill SB913. I believe in true representation and commitment to our community who our cities depends on. This is just one of many bills that get introduced to our State Senate and voted on in a manner inconsistent with our community beliefs.

In running for State Senate for the 25th District, I plan to push on two basic fundamentals which are key to the success of our cities — Equality and Transparency; Equality in ensuring every person and issue is handled fairly; Transparency in openly communicating bills on the table and my position.

Over the next coming weeks, I will be publishing my opinion on a variety of issues to share my viewpoint but also to bring awareness on such issues to our communities.

A few topics you can expect to see include: Lowering Energy and Utility Costs; Education Funding including the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) Formula; Helping Dreamers Get an Education; Veteran Rights; Affordable Housing; and Job Growth in the Public and Private Sectors.

Israel Navarro

Israel Navarro, a Democrat, is challenging state Sen. Bob Duff (D-25) for the Democratic nomination for the November election.