Cope, 54, a Republican serving his third two-year term as first selectman, said protecting the borders and gun control are on the minds of many residents he s spoken to in the sprawling district, which contains 41 cities and towns. Both are areas in which Esty has failed her constituents, he said. I ve lived here 21 years and, going on the campaign trail as I have, people tell me they are worried about border security.
There could be a terrorist attack. We have (in the district) a lot of people who work on Wall Street and are really concerned about an attack on New York City. Cope, who is highly critical of Esty on a host of issues, said, I don t think anyone in the 5th District is safe because of her vote (on Syrian refugees).
It is not the vote I would have taken. She voted to not pause the influx of refugees Cope believes need to be better vetted. She also voted for the Iran nuclear deal, which is a path for them to get nuclear weapons, Cope said.
They are a threat to Israel and the Middle East, and Israel is our strongest ally. That was a terrible vote. Cope also said Esty is vulnerable with gun owners.
As the first selectman, I am also chief of police and I sign every gun permit that comes across my desk, Cope said in a phone interview this week. I ve seen an uptick in the number of permits after incidents like Orlando (where there was a shooting rampage in a nightclub). I hear people throughout our district saying Stop taking our Second Amendment rights away.
Connecticut is one of the most pro-gun control states in the country, in part due to votes that Esty has taken, Cope maintains. The 5th District, Cope said, is home to many sportsmen who own rifles. On jobs, Cope said Esty is supporting Hillary Clinton, who is proposing a $1 trillion increase in taxes, which would only cripple our economy and not help it.
Specifically, Cope said, We need to lower taxes and that is what will bring jobs back into Connecticut and allow small and large businesses to want to stay here. Lowering taxes will stimulate the economy and that will hopefully provide for better paying jobs for everybody. Cope called himself a fiscal conservative and said that, in Sherman, We pay down debt and do not add to it.
In this town, we pave our roads and enjoy a low mill rate (20.33). I ve managed to keep the mill rate low by reducing spending. Cope also went after Esty on veterans.
Esty has worked closely with veterans groups and said she s proud of the work her office has done with helping veterans in her district. She has not done more for veterans; she has done less, Cope said, adding, She has voted against the VA (Veterans Administration) Accountability Act, which hurts veterans. That would have protected whistleblowers within the VA and terminated poor managers.
Cope vowed to visit the mayors and first selectmen of every community in the district in his first year in office. After a news story appeared this past winter alleging that Esty had never visited Sherman, Cope said she came on a winter afternoon on a Monday. Sherman is closed on Mondays.
If she did her due diligence, she would have known to visit any day but Monday. Cope said he is cautiously optimistic about a victory on Nov.
8, noting, Ms. Esty has a lot more money than I do.
I have also not taken any special interest monies.
Robert Storace can be reached at 860-801-5202 or at rstorace@newbritainherald.com 1 .
References ^ rstorace@newbritainherald.com (www.centralctcommunications.com)