Political Discourse 2020

  I appreciate editor of the East Hartford Gazette, Bill Doak’s detailed article last week on the many legislative accomplishments of 10 th District Rep. Henry Genga. Without repeating the specifics laid out in Doak’s article, what comes across is Rep. Genga’s commitment to serve the needs of those he represents by delivering tangible benefits to them. I observed Rep. Genga hard at work recently at the Rivermead Pointe manufactured home community meeting between a homeowner’s group—the newly formed Rivermeade Council—and the management of the park in their discussion of critical issues raised that the resident group wanted to discuss.   I am uncertain as to the results of that meeting, but it was clear that Rep. Genga was there to work toward solutions in his encouragement of constructive dialogue between the two groups.     I also read the letter by Matt Harper in his endorsement of Salema Davis for her election as the next 11 th District House Representative. ...

I n 2013 President Obama’s Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Reform Bill passed the US Senate by a 68-32 margin. The bill provided a conservative pathway to citizenship that would take 13 years for most undocumented immigrants. It also included almost $50 billion for border security enforcement, an E-Verify mandatory employment system, and a “ renewable work visa for low-skilled workers, with annual quotas that depend on market demand.”  ( https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2014/6/30/18080446/immigration-reform-congress-2014-house-john-boehner-obama ). House Republican leadership tried to get the bill passed; due to the opposition of the prevailing conservative wing of the GOP, it was never brought to the floor. With its failure, the political climate over immigration policy took on an increased polarized cast.    Given his accusation of Mexicans bringing drugs and crime to the U.S., as well as being rapists, the polarization intensified once T...