Joe Sokolovic, vice chair of the Board of Education, is backing Josh Elliott’s quixotic August 11 Democratic primary challenge of Governor Ned Lamont.
Elliott, a State House member from Hamden, is running on a platform of taxing the top one percent to “pay their fair share,” standing up to energy chiefs and fully funding public schools, a narrative Sokolovic has hammered for years in the corridors of City Hall, State Capitol and social media platforms.
Elliott is awaiting word from the State Elections Enforcement Commission about his grant application to receive $3.75 million in public funds from Connecticut’s Citizens Election Program that would provide a fast-blast infusion to broaden his name recognition against a deeper-pocketed and well-known incumbent seeking a third, four-year term.
Invite from Joe-So:
Hey OIB friends, neighbors and community members, lend me your ears. Come on out and join me, Joseph Sokolovic, for this event on Saturday and hear the candidate who for the first time in 50 years has been successful in giving voters a choice in a democratic primary. Be a part of history.
Build the Future: Rally in Bridgeport, a public event with Josh Elliott, Democrat for Governor, on Saturday, June 13, from 4:30–5:30 PM at McLevy Green in downtown Bridgeport. The rally will highlight issues facing Connecticut families, including school funding, affordability, health care, social services, and support for nurses, teachers, seniors, children, and working families.
This is a chance to hear more about Elliott’s platform and his ideas for funding essential public services more equitably across Connecticut. Whether you’re concerned about education, health care, local services, or the cost of living, you’re welcome to come out, listen, and be part of the conversation.
· Date: Saturday, June 13
· Time: 4:30–5:30 PM EDT
· Location: McLevy Green, 102 Bank St, Bridgeport, CT 06604RSVP / More information: View the Bridgeport rally event page
As a lifelong Connecticut resident that has witnessed its steady decline on all fronts, but especially in the standard of living and future prospects of its residents, I am looking for a renaissance gubernatorial candidate who is thinking in terms of breaking the many, bad steady habits maintained by the Connecticut oligarchy (e.g., regressive tax structure and protection of the public-utility monopoly system), that have put Connecticut and its future behind the Eight Ball. It seems that Josh Elliot might be such a candidate, who, as governor, could think and act in terms of a state takeover of all essential state public utilities as a major step in making Connecticut affordable and attractive to business and residents. Indeed, in terms of issues that have captured the interest and support of state residents and business, the extortion of Connecticut business and residents by the public-utility monopolies is at the forefront — along with the extreme burden of property taxes on business and residents (especially the residents of our larger cities). And, of course, in a related vein, the condition of the public schools in underfunded big cities, such as Bridgeport, is also at the forefront, with the failing, underfunded school systems of our big cities being one of the major situations undermining the health and future of our state. Hopefully Josh Elliot is thinking in terms of effectively addressing this situation. How he will accomplish necessary property tax relief and a public-school system rescue for the cities is a conundrum, since it will involve a major revision of the system of revenue creation in the state (e.g., millionaires tax) even as a massive effort to recruit major tax base to the state (especially to the cities) is effected.
Of course, we are talking about a comprehensive, long-term, renaissance plan to reverse the negative course of the state’s future. Such a plan will present as a major, radical upheaval of the status quo in a stodgy, oligarchic state presently run by a stodgy, oligarchic executive branch of state government.
If Josh Elliot wants to unseat a powerful, well-financed, not-unpopular governor such as Ned Lamont, he will have to present an exciting vison for our state, and a believable plan to take us there. It will have to be radical, but rational, with details of implementation that make it believable — especially to the voter-residents of our failing major cities and struggling suburban and rural areas.
Cudos to Joe Sokolovic for backing the gubernatorial candidate for major change in this election. And good luck to Josh Elliott in his effort to remake our state in a modern image and bring prosperity back to our residents as he rebuilds our economy. (Let’s hear your vision/plan and
details, Josh!)
Message to Jeff
Thank you, you hit the nail right on the head.
I have served on the board and had a child go through these public schools during the current Governor’s entire tenure. I see first hand on several levels, the damage caused by what you term Connecticut’s “stodgy, oligarchic status quo” every single day. There are literally 2 Connecticuts: one where wealthy towns have the tax base to fully fund strong public institutions, and another where cities like Bridgeport are constantly forced to do more with less.
Because the current Governor refuses to adequately fund our schools, I have been forced to vote for devastating cuts resulting in the loss of hundreds of local jobs, including EVERY SINGLE LIBRARIAN in our school district. That is not acceptable. And it becomes even harder to justify when the Governor has the nerve to come to our city and say more money won’t help Bridgeport public schools. All this while the Governor’s wealthy hometown spends roughly $9,000 more per pupil than we do in Bridgeport. As you said, money matters.
That is exactly why I am supporting Josh Elliott.
When I became aware of Josh during my advocacy around the state I liked what I heard and upon meeting him in early spring found him to be a refreshingly genuine human being.
Josh is not offering the same tired political posturing. His record and his platform speak directly to the structural problems you named — and to the kind of “Connecticut Renaissance” we desperately need.
Josh Elliot understands that the utilities have too much power over working families. Josh has the courage to challenge that power directly. He supports aggressive reviews of franchise rights, changes to eminent domain rules for utility infrastructure, expanded public power options, and localized solar investments for low-income and distressed communities.
He also understands that our tax system is regressively and perversely upside down. If we want to relieve property tax burden on cities like Bridgeport and on our small businesses, we need an equitable tax structure. Elliot’s platform calls for a capital gains surcharge on the wealthiest residents and higher taxes on those earning more than $1 million annually.
Of course most importantly to me, Josh understands that a child’s education should not depend on where they live. Their futures should not be determined where they are born. Josh Elliott supports easing Connecticut’s fiscal guardrails so we can invest more money directly in education, affordable housing, and infrastructure. He has already pushed for significant relief for towns and schools and supported universal free school breakfast programs.
We cannot keep allowing wealthy communities like the Governor’s hometown to protect themselves through exclusionary zoning, regressive tax policies, and a system that builds inequality into the very foundation of the so called “Constitution State”. Education, housing, utility costs, healthcare they are all connected.
Josh Elliott has the bold, rational, and necessary vision to take on the establishment and rewrite the rules so opportunity is no longer determined by where a child is born.
That is why I hope you will not just agree with us, I hope you will stand with us.
Please join us at McLevy Green this Saturday, June 13, at 4:30 PM. Come hear Josh’s plan firsthand. Bring anyone who is tired of watching Bridgeport and communities like ours be told to do more with less by those born with a silver spoon in their mouth.
More importantly vote Josh Elliot on or before August 11.
I’m with you, Joe. My time is spoken for these days with family responsibilities, but I will be eager to hear Josh’s message, and hopefully help it to resonate through the communication means that are currently available to me…
Good luck at McClevy Green!