Debicella vs. Rell

Last week, the New Canaan Republican Town Committee endorsed Dan Debicella of Shelton in the race to challenge Congressman Jim Himes. Debicella responded to the news of receiving New Canaan GOP support, and took the opportunity to demonstrate how little he knows about the work of Congress.

“Every family should ask themselves, ‘What have I gotten from the stimulus?’ and the answer from almost everyone is nothing,” Debicella said.

That comment is amazing. Let’s contrast it with the comments of Governor Rell, who has to actually govern:

Quarterly review of federal stimulus funds and the initiatives they support show gains in jobs created and retained as well as a dramatic increase in spending for assistance programs, health and welfare services, the environment and crime prevention, Governor M. Jodi Rell said today

“We have been able to keep thousands of people working, particularly in education, and provide safety nets for those who have lost their jobs in this unstable economy,” Governor Rell said.

Crime prevention. Keeping your neighbors in jobs. Keeping your schools staffed properly. Extending unemployment benefits. Oh, and providing a $275 BILLION income tax cut to 95% of American tax payers. In the face of these documentable facts, Debicella claims that families in Fairfield county got “nothing.”

Let’s do some REAL numbers for Dan (again, all reported to the governor by state agencies in her Republican administration):

• Jobs created/retained – 6,184 (up from 6,110 in October)
• Unemployment benefits – $1.1 billion
• Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program – $59 million
• General Assistance – More than 7,400 home-delivered meals to Connecticut senior citizens
• Health – 5,000 additional rotavirus vaccinations administered to children
• Public Safety – 130 Internet Crimes against Children cases have been opened, more than doubling the number (54) in October; 10 full-time forensic officers have been hired; 6,369 DNA profiles have been processed, compared to 39 in October
• Energy and the Environment – 90 more Department of Transportation trucks have been retrofitted to reduce diesel emissions (bringing the total to 140); 700 more housing units have received energy audits through the Weatherization Program and 180 units have been weatherized

Debicella offers nothing more that GOP talking points. Congressional Democrats offer real solutions to real problems. If you can’t even SEE the problems people face, Dan, you don’t deserve to represent them.

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