Last Friday afternoon, students sitting outside of the Davenport Campus Center had the opportunity to converse with current Mayor of Stamford and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Malloy.
Malloy spoke to students one-on-one over a pizza lunch and then sat down with about 10 students and discussed political issues as a group.
“I’m here to meet people and talk to people as they want,” Malloy said.
Now in his fourth term as Mayor of Stamford, Malloy is visiting several Connecticut colleges and universities as part of a gubernatorial campaign directed toward young voters. According to Malloy, his campaign is aiming for party building, structural building, and the opportunity to meet voters in an informal environment.
In discussion, students raised issues ranging from energy policies and the state’s taxation rules to the transportation system.
“We don’t have economic development, in my opinion, in this state,” Malloy said.
He suggested that a progressive change in taxation away from a property value based system would open the state’s revenue sources to greater sharing and would encourage economic development.
“You’ve got to throw the system out,” Malloy said.
He explained that economic development would enable better statewide health insurance, more funding for schools, an energy policy that complements environmental policies, as well as improved highway, mass transit, and railway systems.
“Why aren’t we looking at what we would build 20 years from now?” Malloy asked. “We don’t have the resolve to do it. That unwillingness is one of the reasons we’re losing jobs.”
Students recognized Malloy’s concern for policies that affect young people. Specifically, Malloy believes that if private and public universities change their financial systems from bureaucratic to free market systems, they will be able to spend money more efficiently.
When asked why he decided to run for governor, Malloy gave a host of reasons.
“It’s a combination of a lifetime of activity involved in politics and government,” he said. “I think the government in Connecticut is pretty broken. I don’t think people are grappling with serious issues. There are a set of circumstances and a sense of accomplishment that keep me going in that direction [toward the governorship].”
In closing the discussion, Malloy encouraged his listeners to continue their involvement in politics.
“We’re about to see a lot of political change,” Malloy said. “Watch it, maybe even enjoy it. Get involved in politics, please. We need good people.”
Malloy’s Third District Campaign Director Jacqueline Kozin spoke, stressing the importance of understanding politics’ impact on young people. She also compared Friday’s casual setting to the lectures and speeches that Malloy, an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut, gives regularly.
“[Malloy] enjoys talking with young people,” Kozin said. “Dialogue is better to engage people. It’s a nice change of pace.”
Wesleyan Democrats (WesDems) collaborated with WesVOTE (Voter Outreach Through Education) to organize Malloy’s visit.
Malloy contacted them, requesting an event on campus. He has already visited Southern Connecticut State University, the University of Connecticut, and Yale University. During the next several weeks, he will visit Connecticut College, Eastern Connecticut State University, and the University of New Haven.
“I hope that people walk away [from this event] realizing that politicians and other important figures take Wesleyan and college students seriously,” said WesDems President Justin Costa ’06.
Costa made clear that the student groups’ hosting of Malloy was not an endorsement.
“There are a lot of interesting things going on in Connecticut [politics],” Costa said. “We want students to be aware of that and make their own decisions.”
Patrick Senat ’08 thought the meeting went well.
“He articulated that the state of Connecticut is in very bad shape and that he can basically do better,” Senat said.
The state’s gubernatorial primaries will take place this coming August. Both Malloy and New Haven Mayor John DeStefano are competing for the Democratic nomination. The Democratic candidate will challenge Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell in November.
Leave a Reply