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10/18/2016 01:00 PMWhile Steve Tracey is not a career politician, he said he’s seeking election to represent the 99th District so he can bring his practical experience to Hartford and give East Haven a “strong voice” in the capitol. He has visited residents door-to-door all over East Haven talking about the needs of the town.
“This is my first time running for public office, but it has been an incredibly rewarding experience,” said Tracey. “I’ve learned that so many residents feel the same way I do—that politicians are out of touch with reality, that government is no longer accountable, and that Connecticut has become one of the most costly states in the country to live in.”
Tracey raised six children in East Haven where Tracey and his uncle, Art DiAdamo, built their business, DiAdamo and Tracey “Big Steve” Bail Bonds on Main Street. He has lived in town for 17 years, serving as a board member at St. Vincent de Paul School and a member of the finance council at St. Vincent de Paul church. His business has sponsored a number of sports teams and athletic groups and supported the East Haven Food Pantry.
Now running for state representative, Tracey is hoping to help lead the government away from a “tax and spend” mentality that he said has it borrowing more money and cutting funds for mental health, addiction, and other social services.
“My opponent is a respectable, intelligent, kind-hearted individual, however, he has voted for nearly every one of Governor [Dannel] Malloy’s failed policies,” said Tracey. “East Haven is a blue-collar community and the massive tax increases over the past few years have especially hurt our community. I want to go to Hartford and fight for policies that will make it easier to makes ends meet and that will give residents a chance to be more prosperous and secure.”
Tracey, who is married to Jackie and now has nine grandchildren, has three main areas of focus if he wins the seat: the budget and the economy, taxes, and jobs. He has become frustrated with the many tax increases like the rise in the gas tax and new taxes on beauty services, prescription medication, and luxury goods.
“If elected, I would bring a practical agenda to Hartford. If I wouldn’t do it with my own checkbook, I wouldn’t do it in Hartford,” said Tracey. “We need to spend only what we can afford and reduce our dependence on costly borrowing. We cannot tax our way out of this state’s problem. The first step to fixing the problem is sending new leaders to Hartford who will say no to future tax hikes by the governor.”
Tracey is also hoping to change Connecticut’s “poor economic climate” to make the state more appealing to businesses. He hopes that by fighting to pass sustainable, reliable budgets, more businesses will want to stay in Connecticut.
“So many are leaving because they don’t know what new tax we’re going to invent to take more money from them,” said Tracey. “If we make it clear that they can expect Connecticut to remain an affordable place to operate, we will give businesses an incentive to stay and create new jobs.”
For information, visit bigstevetracey.com.
Find complete voter information, including letters to the editor and candidate profiles, at www.zip06.com/election.