David Scribner for State Rep

David Scribner is a hard working member of the Connecticut legislature who has served the 107th district with distinction. David is not a rabid partisan and realizes that he represents all the constituents in the district...Republicans, Democrats and Independents. He is well-respected in the Republican caucus while continuing to reach across the aisle to get things done.

Blaming David for the state of fiscal affairs in Connecticut is absurd and naive. Democrats control the Assembly with a near 2 to 1 majority...99 Democrats; 52 Republicans. They control the State Senate 22 to 14. When Gov. Rell, a Republican, was in office the Democrats had a veto-proof majority allowing them to legislate with relative impunity...which they did.

What we need to do is to recruit, support and elect more Republicans that can begin the process of returning Connecticut to a course of fiscal integrity that will go a long way toward capitalizing on the state's abundant resources and talents and once again make us a magnet for new business development...and jobs.

Yet, here in Brookfield, we appear to be taking an opposite tack by attempting to discard a proven performer who is recognized by his colleagues, the media...and most importantly...the voters, as an effective legislator who unequivocally deserves re-election.

As Republicans, we are fortunate that there in no Democrat candidate for the 107th State Assembly District this year. If that were not the case, and in light of this dustup, the potential for losing this seat to the other side would be very real indeed.

As I read the many posts on this issue, several people have asked why is this happening. In light of the usual scenario that pits a challenger against a Republican incumbent, one might think that David is not a conservative.

Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. David has a solid and consistent record of voting for less government and for policies that champion individual responsibility and promote the free enterprise system.

The Democrats are not running a candidate because they recognize that David is a proven vote getter and that putting up a sacrificial lamb does not make any sense.

The frequent refrain from the supporters of David's opponent is that he is not involved in the community. Yet, that is a ludicrous assertion. Even a casual observer would note David's tireless efforts to gain state support and funding for local initiatives such as the new Senior Center, the Route 7 By-Pass, $250,000 for Lighting and Streetscaping in the Four-Corners District, $30,000 for the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Department, the Regional YMCA, The Regional Hospice of Western Connecticut, the Cardiac Care Unit at Danbury Hospital and the list goes on.

As a former member of the Board of Selectmen, I can readily attest to David's legislative efforts...and leadership...in support of Brookfield initiatives.

No, the local community referred to by supporters of David's opponent is not the actual community, but those in control of the Republican Party in Brookfield. The book on David is that he does not attend local Republican functions and has not lent his support to other candidates on the Republican ballot.

This group that chides David for his lack of involvement in local Republican affairs, are some of the same people that have often challenged his election...even when he had the endorsement of the Brookfield Republican Town Committee (BRTC) or the broader Republican caucus. This has been going on for a long time. When David was running for his first re-election bid in 2000, I was a delegate to the 107th nominating convention. As it turned out, I was the only Brookfield delegate to vote for David and he lost the nomination to friend of the then Chairman of the BRTC. Fortunately, that candidate dropped out and David went on to win the election.

In recent years, active members of the BRTC have supported other candidates even after David had secured the Republican nomination. One would think that a sitting member of the BRTC would support the Republican nominee or step down from the committee. But such was not the case.

In light of this state of affairs, is it any wonder that David does not feel welcome with the leadership of the local Republican party? Over the years, their actions have often worked against facilitating a sense of camaraderie, or building trust for that matter.

So David is seen as a disloyal Republican, while another sitting member of the BRTC ran an insurgent campaign for First Selectman in 2009 and siphoned off enough votes to throw the election to the Democrats.

Was that individual seen as a disloyal Republican? Not hardly. He was welcomed back to the BRTC and for a while served in a leadership position.

It was not my initial intent to air dirty laundry in this post, but I could not let these scurrilous statements about David's alleged lack of community involvement go unanswered.

With his years of service, David has achieved a level of respect, and, yes, clout, that enables him to maximize his effectiveness in representing the communities he serves even as a member of the minority. 

I urge all Republicans to vote in the upcoming primary election on Tuesday, August 14th. Let's return a solid, dedicated and hard-working Republican to the State Assembly.

Please join me in voting for David in Tuesday's primary.

Respectfully,

Art Kerley