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Dear Editor,

I just saw this quote come through my Facebook feed: “The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.” I’ve been fed up with our state’s finances for years now as Vinny and my FB friends can attest to. Inefficiencies and living beyond one’s means are two things that drive me nuts. Ever increasing taxes are just strangling us and have us seriously thinking about moving out of this state. Our families and jobs are here though. We grew up here and don’t want to be forced to leave but we are getting extremely frustrated by the elected leadership.

So instead of continuing to complain about Connecticut’s fiscal death spiral, I have stepped up to the plate to try to do something about this situation. I’ve volunteered to be the treasurer for my friend Mary’s Fay campaign and am trying to help bring some fiscal stability to our state. My friend, Mary Fay who is also from East Hartford and has lived in West Hartford for 16 years is running as a Republican for the 18^th district in Connecticut for state representative. She will be running against the winner of 23-year incumbent, Andrew Fleishmann and newcomer, Jillian Gilchrest.

I recently reunited with Mary a few years ago when we, with a group of others, challenged the MDC/Niagara water bottling fiasco. Mary got up in front of the MDC Board and spoke so fluently and effectively with no fear challenging their “deal.” I was very impressed and didn’t realize how well spoken and tough she was. She knows who the players are and they know who she is.

For those who do not know Mary, she is a graduate of my high school alma mater, Penney High School, Skidmore College, and has an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She is a proven leader with business acumen, an accomplished senior executive, with prior roles including senior vice president, GE Capital; senior vice president, ING; and senior vice president and general manager, Sun Life Financial. She has led retirement and health businesses. These are two areas that need a major overhaul with respect to our state’s finances. She recently was offered a job out of state as the CEO but turned it down since her family and life are here in Connecticut. She wants live here and to re-build Connecticut together.

Mary chose to fulfill a lifetime dream of trying to make people’s lives better through public service and ran for Town Council in West Hartford and won. While being in the minority party on the Council, she has helped reign in tax increases, halt the purchase of the UConn property and assumption by the town of environmental hazards and expenses. She has also supported smart development, resulting in grand list growth.

Mary has been a leader her entire life. The oldest of four children, she was class president in high school, played varsity sports beginning as a freshman, and was in National Honor Society. Mary and I both grew up in modest households as Democrats in East Hartford, CT. I moved to West Hartford in 1991 and registered as a Democrat but made the switch in the late 90s since I admired the Republicans in the majority party of the Town Council. I do vote for the candidates regardless of party and not by party line. I am fiscally conservative and socially pretty liberal as my friends can attest to. Mary switched her party affiliation when she realized she couldn’t support the Democratic leadership and their lack of fiscal responsibility. One of the funniest things she said to me recently is that it was harder for her to come out as a Republican in West Hartford than to come out as a lesbian.

In my opinion, Mary would be a shoe in if she were running as a Democrat in this state but she can’t support the party who continues to have no problem spending the tax payers’ hard earned money so recklessly. Her talents are so desperately needed at the state level and we need it now. She is running as a Republican so her campaign is going to be 100 times harder in this very blue town and blue state but she is up for the challenge.

We both have could stayed on the sidelines and watched this state implode but we are trying to change this state at least. The world will have to wait. Please support me by donating to her campaign and to help re-build Connecticut together by doing something about the fiscal mess our state is in versus just complaining about it. Please do not elect the same politicians who have gotten us into this mess or who have had their chance to do something about it but have failed. Support Mary Fay since she needs to win before it’s too late and Vin and I pack our bags and follow the caravan out of state with the many others.

Print form and Mail: https://drive.google.com/…/1jnvjDK63d5pwLjHh4IxgEmzYXM…/view

Online: https://secure.anedot.com/mmf/donate

Sue Farrell
West Hartford