Dave Mooney for State Representative

Background:

I am a Senior Software Engineer at Fujifilm Medical Systems in Stamford, CT and a graduate of the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT with a BSE in Computer Science and Engineering.

In 2004, I traveled from my home in Stratford, CT to swing states New Hampshire and Pennsylvania a combined eight times, logging untold miles and over 500 hours of volunteer work. I took a month-long, unpaid leave of absence from work to volunteer in Wilkes-Barre, PA for the final four weeks of the race and served as Canvassing Director, organizing hundreds of volunteers to knock on thousands upon thousands of doors.

I have been closely involved with Fairfield County DFA since soon after the 2004 election.

Goals:

I am running because I love my community of Stratford, CT and I believe my perspective as an engineer, a professional problem-solver, is exactly the kind of fresh start Stratford needs in our General Assembly.

Issues:

1. Property Taxes
Local economic development and character of our community depend on a stable and affordable mill rate. Taxes in Stratford are out of control, but there is hope.

At nearly 50% of the town's budget, education is consistently on the chopping block as the biggest target for painful spending cuts. This practice has gone on for too long and must come to an end. The State has a responsibility to support local education costs and must play a larger role in funding education.

Increased state funding will allow us to get our property taxes under control and make sure parents and educators have the resources they need to provide a quality education for the children of Stratford. As your State Representative, directing more State funding to municipalities will be my top priority.

2. Education
The quality of our school system says so much about a town. Increasing the State's role in funding local education, especially in the area of special education and related transportation costs, will allow us to stabilize our school system and our mill rate. We must envision a future where middle school sports and arts are restored and we are no longer discussing which school to close next.

3. Transportation
Every day, I commute down to Stamford to get to work. I know what the traffic is like on I-95 and the conditions of the trains on Metro-North. As traffic congestion increases, it creates a drag on our economy and our quality of life. We need to institute cures, not band-aid solutions. Immediate action must be taken to improve public transportation and provide options to people so a more judicious use of private vehicles is possible.

Grassroots Support:

I am running a textbook people-powered campaign. With the help of dozens of volunteers, I have been going door-to-door throughout the district listening to the concerns of the voters and telling them about the campaign. We have done and will continue to do a series of neighborhood house parties and neighbor-to-neighbor organizing. This kind of direct, personal contact is essential to a local campaign and the community really needs someone who will listen and act on their concerns.

DFA Values:

The top two issues I am running on are a perfect example of this. Connecticut's property tax system is extremely regressive and has put our entire education system on an unstable financial footing. When elected, I will fight for fundamental reforms to our education funding regime so that all municipalities have the resources needed to ensure a bright future the children of Connecticut and so that all municipalities are on solid ground fiscally and are not forced to tax people out of their homes.