Before I moved to Connecticut, I perceived the state as an attractive place to live and for businesses to prosper. Where do we stand now under State Senator Ed Meyer's watch? Clearly, we are no longer competitive with many other states. The cost of living for our residents, the increased tax burden on both individuals and businesses, and many other related costs of doing business are now significantly higher in Connecticut than they are in other states. More important, many of our seniors can't afford to make ends meet under the burden of ever-increasing personal and property taxes. As a result, they and large numbers of our talented younger residents are packing up and leaving for brighter pastures.

What is Senator Meyer's plan to tackle these very important issues? The only thing I have heard is that he claims our local businesses are flourishing compared to other parts of the state and country. How can we possibly get our state moving again when we have a state senator who supports an ever-expanding government bureaucracy (which cannot balance the budget, even after the largest tax increase in the state's history) and is clearly out of touch with our everyday economic realities?

That is why I will be voting for Cindy Cartier. She is a successful local business owner and brings this much-needed perspective to the political table. As such, she doesn't believe in spending more than you can afford. This is evidenced by her experience in balancing budgets in the private, non-profit, and municipal sectors. Cindy understands the challenges are that we are facing today and will actually do something about it. She is the right person to represent the interests of the citizens of Madison and she has my full support.

Peter Thomas

Madison