Frequently we hear, Latinos don’t speak up on the issues. Some of the articles we have offered on this upcoming election however, have elicited some interesting responses from Latinos around the state. Among them, two opinion pieces that presented contrasting views from two Latinas on the gubernatorial candidates, incumbent Dannel Malloy (D) and Republican challenger Tom Foley. They were written by Cecilia Bonelli of Groton who is originally from Peru and Evelyn Mantilla of West Hartford, originally from Puerto Rico. ( http://ctln.local/2014/10/22/dan-malloy-for-governor-the-clear-choice-for-latinos/ and http://ctln.local/2014/10/22/why-as-a-latina-i-am-voting-for-tom-foley/)
Another, a news article (http://ctln.local/2014/10/15/latino-candidates-lots-at-stake-in-getting-out-the-vote/ ) on how some Latino candidates are working to get out the vote, not only for themselves but also for Governor Malloy, because they say the stakes are especially high in this election, for many reasons. And then, some of the comments below are from some folks we asked because we figured you wanted to hear from Latinos regarding this election. Keep the comments coming.
So here’s the Buzz……for now……….
Eddie Martinez, Waterbury Unfortunately, as a state employee with 19 years on the job, I’ve never seen as much discrimination and desperate treatment of Latinos during other administrations like I witnessed during the Malloy administration. Now, they want to make it sound like they’re looking for the best interest of Latinos when this is not the case. It’s all about politics and winning votes. After the elections we’ll be back to forgetting about the Latinos. When will we wake up and smell the roses? Nelson J. Rodriquez, West Hartford Mrs. Mantilla, I appreciate you putting together such a well thought out piece. Thank you for presenting us with clear and factual information about what Governor Malloy and his team have been able to do for the state of Connecticut during his tenure. Being a huge proponent of education in general and the father of two boys who are attending elementary school in CT, I am pleased to see the work that Governor Malloy has helped get done to improve our education system. Alma Maya, Bridgeport As a Latina , I feel our communities continue to remain absent from the minds of some of our elected officials. This is reflected in the lack of services which should be targeted to our specific needs and neighborhoods It is also reflected in the few number of Latino appointed officials at all levels of government. Joel Gonzalez Anyone who dares to suggest that Malloy has done anything for Hispanics must be in desperate need of their medication. The biggest tax increase in Connecticut history followed by $120,000,000 cut to social Service Programs is a testament to his great leadership. The worst part of it all is that the “Latino Delegation or Caucus” didn’t have the backbone to stand up to Danny Boy. I believe he did appoint one latino to his administration. He deserves Alama Maya’s vote for that Carmelo Rodriquez, New Britain I do not believe Gov. Malloy or Foley have done enough to reach the Latino community through commercial media or news paper. As chairman of the Latino Coalition I can personally say that I have not been contacted by either of them for any input on the Latino community in New Britain.
A perfect example of someone that reaches out and gets involved in the community is someone like Robert Sanchez: A hard working man of integrity. Also another candidate that has reached out to the Latino community has been Piotr Ceglarz. These men of influence have strived to make a difference in our community and have made many efforts to reach out to the Latinos in any way possible. Piotr Ceglarz and Robert Sanchez lead by example and all candidates should look up to them.
Carmen Lopez, Bridgeport
Elections are always a good thing, because they remind us that we are in a Democracy, and we have a choice. You ask if the election is great for Latinos, I have to say that as Latinos, we must beware of those politicians, who pander to our community at election time, by using so-called Latino issues, or by promising to appoint an ethnically and racially diverse administration.
I have learned that it is more important to watch what a politician does, rather than to what he or she says. By failing to critically assess a politician’s position on an issue that matters to our community, we risk being taken for granted, rather than being an equal partner in governing. This impedes the progress and contributions of the Latino community to the well-being of the community at large.”
Saundra Melendez, Windsor
The best voter is an informed voter, one who digs out the facts for her/himself. Never rely on a campaign to give you facts, research for yourself the candidate’s voting record and use Freedom of Information to learn who the person really is not who a campaign purports them to be. Look up reliable news articles. Do your homework then decide if you can live with the candidate for 4 years. Why listen to someone who doesn’t even live in CT to tell you who to elect. Be proactive and learn who the candidates are
Joel Gonzalez
Kudos to Saundra Melendez of Windsor on her comment. On every election cycle my late mother would say, “Ahi vienen los lambe ojos.” I didn’t get what she meant until I got elected to the City Council and volunteered in countless campaigns before that. From experience I’ve learned that our community as well as the black community has a huge segment of people I’ve termed as Gullorant–simultaneously gullible and ignorant. I believe this is due to the many years of a poor education system and this segment of our population is the byproduct of the failed education system for the last 30 years. The Democratic Party has for years taken advantage of this segment of the population. Many aren’t that Gullorant and realize or believe that they are being taken advantage of and resort to not voting at all–either way, the Democratic Party stays in power. I’m a registered Democrat and for about 2 years switched Republican. Even as a Democrat I split my vote and even refused to support Democrats against Republicans whom I felt were better qualified and prepared. I hate Politics and hate Politicians. When people try to remind me that is was a Politician, I coreect them and let them know that I was a Publictician–elected by the public to serve the public first. Politicians only serve the party and pretend to be there for the public that elected them. El Publitico no necesita lamber ojos.!!!