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Health & Fitness

Stratford Needs a Good State Rep in the 120th

Terry Masters listens and responds to Stratford. She knows about existing programs that would benefit our town, but have been ignored. Terry will work hard to make sure Stratford gets its fair share.

I was knocking on doors the other day on the north end of Nichols Avenue.  I had the pleasure of meeting some great people who welcomed me, surprised that I was climbing up their driveways to introduce myself.  Evidently I was the first candidate who ever did so.

Then, a few days later, I answered a phone call.  The caller was a stranger to me, but she had received my campaign mailers.  She wanted to know why she should vote for state rep; she thought only the presidential race was important and had never bothered to vote for any other office.

Both of these experiences brought home to me the importance of the office I’m running for. National policy sets the tone and establishes the law of the land, but you can’t pick up the phone and talk to the President  You can pick up the phone and talk to me.

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I have received many emails and phone calls since I started this campaign.  Some people wanted to share their viewpoints; some wanted to know what I thought about a particular issue; and some, like the woman who called me, wanted to know what I was doing.  Regardless, I have responded to everyone who reached out to me. 

That’s what people in Stratford need:  a representative who will walk up a hill to knock on their doors, who will respond to their emails and who will pick up the phone to return their calls.

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What people in Stratford expect and deserve is someone actively fighting for their interests and bringing back concrete results to the town.  We know there are available grants and state money that Stratford is not getting.  There are existing programs that could help our residents that the town is not participating in. One program, the Energy Improvement District, I’ve written about and presented to the Town Council.  It would cost the town no dollars and has the potential to save residents and businesses money on their utility bills.

But how are we supposed to know about these opportunities?  Shouldn’t our representatives be keeping an eye out for us and communicating with us?

Stratford deserves more than the “culture of No.”  “No taxes” and “No waste” are getting tired even as sound bites, and meaningless without specific details.    The biggest “No” in Stratford is the no response and no sharing of opportunities from the incumbent. 

I haven’t been hearing a lot of “NO” when I’m knocking on doors.  I’ve been listening to people share their concerns and their hopes and their opinions.

When I’m elected, I will respond to your phone calls and your emails.  It may take me a day or two, but I will get back to you.

I will also actively look for current programs and existing laws that can make a real difference to people’s lives here in Stratford. 

That’s what a good State Rep should do.  That is what I willl do: fight for the people of Stratford.

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