From State Senate candidate Marilyn Moore:
Protecting senior citizens’ quality of life, building community bridges for job creation, permanently funding full-day kindergarten, providing teachers essential tools in the classroom and serving as an independent fighter for government reform are some of the issues Marilyn Moore has shared during her campaign for Connecticut’s 22nd State Senate seat covering Trumbull, Bridgeport and Monroe.
Issues that Moore has discussed with voters:
Protecting Senior Citizens
Moore will issue a call to action expediting state approval to qualify senior citizens for Connecticut’s Home Care Program that offers quality of life services for the elderly to keep them in their homes so they’re not forced into the staggering cost of state nursing homes.Current program rules require senior citizen applicants to wait at least 45 days, but some candidates wait even longer to receive approval for assisted-living services administered through the Department of Social Services.
“The home care program is invaluable for thousands of seniors without the back-breaking associated costs of going into a nursing home,” says Moore. “I will urge legislative peers, the Department of Social Services and service provides to streamline the approval process, even if it takes a legislative fix. It’s a burden on the elderly to wait so long for services.”
The Connecticut Home Care Program offers services to Connecticut residents 65 years of age and older who lack the resources to finance in-home care needs. Under the program, seniors pay a seven percent monthly co-pay based on service needs that include house-keeping, medical, transportation, cooking and meal delivery, and emergency response system.
Building Community Bridges For Job Creation
Urging an end to “sticker shock” for ratepayers, Moore will serve as a bridge between communities for approval of a regional water pollution control authority to stabilize rates, protect the environment and create much-needed jobs for Bridgeport and Trumbull, as well as Monroe seeking development opportunities to stabilize taxes.“I decided to seek office because we need constructive dialog and working partnerships to bring our communities together for the common good of the region,” says Moore. “As a taxpayer and a ratepayer I understand the financial pain residents and businesses are feeling. We must find a fair way to stabilize user rates and that starts with a regional authority that’s allowed under Connecticut state statute.”
Connecticut general statutes, with approval of local legislative bodies, allows for the creation of a regional wastewater authority involving two or more municipalities.
The city of Bridgeport has treatment systems in the East End and West End associated with an aging pipeline infrastructure. The town of Trumbull has sewers but no treatment plant. The town’s waste is processed in Bridgeport. Officials have not come to an agreement over rates that Trumbull users should pay creating instability in the user rates of both communities.
“Many benefits exist for a regional authority,” says Moore “including access to greater state and federal dollars for upgrades and improvements, green technology, new jobs and fair rates. I want to work with our community leaders and local legislative bodies to find a solution that’s fair to all ratepayers.”
Education, Safety, Security
“As a mother, grandmother and caretaker for an aging parent Marilyn knows first-hand the needs of our families,” says Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro. “Her experience as an advocate on education, food security, and breast cancer means she will hit the ground running. We need Marilyn Moore in the State Senate.”Moore will serve as a powerful voice for our children in public schools and working families trying to make ends meet in a difficult economy including:
· Advocating that the state settle a lawsuit resulting in millions in additional state resources to the district to lessen our dependence on property taxes and protect vital programs.
· Securing resources to make sure full day kindergarten becomes permanent for all students.
· Ensuring that teachers have the tools and support they need and that our schools provide a safe learning environment.
· Supporting a law making it illegal for any resident who has a temporary restraining order to possess a firearm.Government Reform
“I’m supporting Marilyn Moore because I will have a partner in protecting taxpayer money from the conflicts of interests protecting political sacred cows,” says State Rep. Jack Hennessy author of a government reform bill to guarantee the separation of powers between the Mayor’s office and City Council delineated in the Bridgeport City Charter, which prohibits city employees from serving on the City Council. “The state of Connecticut will only benefit from having municipalities that have sound governance policies in place. And that includes supporting municipal home rule approved by voters.”The Bridgeport City Charter approved by city voters prohibits city employees from serving on the City Council. State law precludes municipal employees from sitting on boards of finance to eliminate conflicts of interests such as voting on their own wages and benefits and to provide guarantee accountability between legislative and executive branches. Bridgeport’s legislative body, however, functions as a board of finance.
“As your state senator I will support legislation that respects the will of the people and protects their pocketbooks,” says Moore.
About Marilyn Moore
Marilyn Moore is a team-building leader who commits her time, energy and resources to seeing increased opportunities for all of us. She is the founder of the Witness Project of Connecticut, a breast cancer education and advocacy group. She is mother to three adult children and nine grandchildren. Marilyn attended Bridgeport public schools and the University of Bridgeport. As an executive from AT&T, Marilyn displayed strong leadership skills, vision and the ability to work between various workgroups to accomplish goals. These attributes have carried over into every aspect of her personal and professional life including the call to build an organization to reduce the incidence of breast cancer among low-income women and to end hunger in Connecticut. Marilyn is nationally known for her advocacy on behalf of breast cancer and is an active participant in the war against hunger. She serves as board chair for End Hunger CT! and represents Connecticut on the Food Solutions New England Coalition. Marilyn recently organized coalitions to address food equity; as a result, the City of Bridgeport formed a Food Policy Council. She served two years as Legislative Aide to former Democratic State Senator Edwin A. Gomes, and is committed to creating jobs that can sustain our families.
