Keith's Views on Seniors Rights

Rodgerson Announces Seniors Rights Platform

Wilton, CT -- Keith Rodgerson, Democratic candidate for the General Assembly (CT-143rd) has been scouring the district, discussing issues that are of importance to seniors.

“I’ve watched two generations of my Connecticut grandparents struggle with their small businesses, housing, healthcare, and retirement challenges. There are pervasive forces at work in the Connecticut legislature that seek to degrade our quality of life and that threaten senior access to housing, medication, retirement and health care,” Rodgerson stated. “We need a representative who can provide real relief for our seniors in Hartford.”  

Rodgerson also cited the negative impact of special interest groups and regressive social agendas on the livelihoods of our senior population. “Senator Boucher and State Rep Lavielle have intervened on behalf of special interests in-between medical decisions of doctors and senior patients. Our legislators must allow doctors and seniors to chart the best course for access to medication for glaucoma, arthritis and cancer treatment. We cannot allow our legislators to upend the needs of seniors due to the needs of pharmaceutical companies and lobbyists. Our greatest generation deserves better than that.”    

One topic that has come up over and over was the importance of retirement security. “The Connecticut GOP has near-universally panned the Public Retirement Plan as currently being designed by the Connecticut Retirement Security Board. Our legislators must support this program which provides for a guaranteed rate of return, low administrative fees, be universally available, and cannot cause a liability on either the state or employers.”  Rodgerson is committed to supporting the legislative stabilization of retirement in Connecticut in 2015.  “We also cannot have legislators who are against the transit-oriented housing densities our seniors need.”       

Another issue that resonates in the district is estate tax reform.  Said Rodgerson, “We need to build a coalition around this issue. It has been unreasonable for Rep. Lavielle to call for its failed repeal four years in a row. We need to find common ground so that families can transfer wealth to successive generations of Connecticut residents for college education, charitable contributions, job creation and the sustainability of our robust Connecticut economy.”

Dave Ryan, Communications Director for the Rodgerson campaign added, “Our representatives should not serve special interest groups like the Koch-funded National Federation of Independent Businesses. They must focus on real results instead of extremist ideological pandering.  Proposing a complete repeal of the estate tax exacerbates the already deep tensons between both parties.  We need bipartisan cooperation and bridge-building for a functional senior agenda in 2015.”

Rodgerson is looking forward to the next debate against Rep. Lavielle, which will be Wednesday night (Oct 8), 7PM at Westport Town Hall. More information about this can be found on www.Keith2014.org.