Tag Archives: 8th District

Expectations for change are high for 2011 in the world of government.  Nationally we have seen a huge shift in power in Washington and locally our representative voice in the General Assembly also changed.  Republican, Tim Ackert will be the new voice of the people after defeating Democrat Joan Lewis.  So what should we expect from Mr. Ackert?

First and foremost we should have an expectation of an active Representative.  According to Mr. Ackert’s campaign information, “Connecticut’s taxpayers deserve well-informed, strong willed Legislators who will remember their oath of office and remain loyal to the people who put them there. We have had far too many years where representation has been defined merely as going along to get along.”

So what action should we expect to see from Mr. Ackert?  Well the current increase in gasoline pricing should see immediate attention. Perhaps Mr. Ackert will be proposing a reduction in gas taxes that would be good speculation and an accurate expectation.

This expectation comes from rhetoric of the campaign trail in the words of Mr. Ackert, “Gas prices are [a] key to virtually all other consumer costs, and our state’s taxes on gasoline only exacerbate an already difficult situation. Connecticut’s Legislature double taxes consumers with both a per-gallon tax and a gross receipts tax that increases with the cost of gas. This double tax is unfair, and the majority of the revenue it generates does not go to the Transportation Fund for highway repairs and mass transit initiatives as intended.”

Mr. Ackert was critical of the lack of relief from energy taxes coming from the current legislature and said they had “done nothing”.  To Mr. Ackert’s credit he offered a solution, “To combat the disastrous impact of high energy prices on our state’s economy and residents, the General Assembly must immediately cut energy taxes across the board.”  Let’s hope that is one of the first things Tim proposes even before he gets to Hartford as pump prices are now above $3.00 per gallon.

According to Tim’s campaign website he believes we need to cut back on government spending and “put an end to unfunded mandates”.  Wow, that is refreshing news and we would hope Tim proposes immediate legislation to accomplish that goal.

Tim is a young man with a bright future and if he can deliver on those expectations taken from his website, well maybe someday we will be calling him Governor Tim.  That has a nice ring to it.

Tim is one of 12 Republicans that defeated Democratic incumbents in November but few can deny Mr. Ackert worked hard winning those votes.  He did it the old fashion way making direct contact with voters, networking and getting his name known.  He has demonstrated skills that can be applied to his new position as the voice of the people in the 8^th district.  Tim earned the position and now has the opportunity to show the people what can be accomplished in Hartford by a “well-informed, strong willed Legislator”.

All the voters of the 8^th district (Coventry, Columbia and Vernon)  should wish him well, support his efforts on our behalf and expect action.  Now that we have a Representative that believes in “not going along to get along” we can expect Tim’s voice to be not one for his party but one for the people.