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Tag: Trump

  • Rocky Hill Democrats Honor AG Tong and other public servants

    Rocky Hill Democrats Honor AG Tong and other public servants

    Rocky Hill Democrats met in June to honor Democratic changemakers and community servants within Rocky Hill and the State of Connecticut.

    Connecticut Attorney General William Tong receives the Billiy Ciatto Award

    a man in a suit speaks into a microphone

    Attorney General William Tong was the keynote speaker. He urged everyone in the room to fight against the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. Tong also shared a story of why he remains hopeful. “Let me tell you in this difficult moment what gives me hope. What gives me hope is I walked in here and Joe Cohelo pulled me aside. He said, ‘I remember your parents ran a restaurant on the Silas Deane Highway, and I remember you, as a little kid, working in the kitchens, working side by side with your parents.’ 

    “Growing up in a Chinese restaurant isn’t easy. It’s not easy to watch your parents work seven days a week, twelve to fifteen hours a day. It’s not easy to watch them sacrifice so much, and to see them suffer. And it’s not easy when, in sixth grade, when business starts to go the wrong direction, and when your parents do the only thing they can do: they call their children off the bench. Friday, Saturday, nights and weekends, I was in that restaurant working side by side with my parents in that hot Chinese restaurant. But in one generation I went from that hot restaurant in Wethersfield to being the Attorney General of the state of Connecticut. That is the enduring strength and beauty of our country.”

    Other award winners included:

    Democrat of the year: Allan Smith

    Allan Smith is a candidate for mayor of Rocky Hill. Allan is a long time resident, vice chair of the Rocky Hill Democratic Town Committee, and member of Rocky Hill’s Affordable Housing Committee, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Economic Development Commission. Allan was recognized for his tireless community service and passion for improving the town.

    Town Service Award: Recipients Joe Cohelo, Sandi Kelly and Ken Goldberg between them share more than a century of service to town boards, commissions, and advisory bodies. 

    Unsung Heroes: Residents and community servants Shilpa Gohil and Maria Librio Judge were recognized for their long term public service. Shilpa and Maria have embodied public service through philanthropic work and volunteering. 

    Young Democrat of the Year: Logan Prentiss was recognized for his service in the National Guard and his focus on supporting Democratic campaigns. 

    three men and a woman hold awards and smile at the camera in front of a blue backdrop
    a young man smiles, a blond woman prepares to hand him an award
  • Larson Opposes Republican Bill to Cut Taxes for Billionaires by Kicking Millions off Health Care and Food Assistance

    Larson Opposes Republican Bill to Cut Taxes for Billionaires by Kicking Millions off Health Care and Food Assistance

    From the website of John Larson:

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted against the Republican bill that cuts taxes for billionaires by slashing Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP nutrition benefits. Now that it has been approved by the House and the Senate, the bill heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature. 

    “It has always been President Trump’s number one priority to make his tax cuts for the wealthy permanent, and that is exactly what this bill does,” said Larson. “What he does not mention is that it pays for those tax breaks by kicking 17 million Americans off their health care and raising premiums for others, slashing food assistance and student aid, and exploding the national debt. This bill is unprecedented in both how big of a tax cut billionaires like him and Elon Musk will receive, and also how it will hurt children, the elderly, the disabled, and our nation’s veterans. During an inflationary time when people are struggling to make ends meet, it is hard to understand how my Republican colleagues can look themselves in the mirror and vote to raise costs on the middle- and working-class people of our country, all so the wealthy can get another tax cut they do not need. Democrats will continue to shine a light on these devastating cuts. We remain focused on not only protecting but enhancing programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security for America’s working families and seniors.”  

    The Republican ‘Big, Ugly Bill:’ 

    • Provides an average annual tax cut of $309,000 for the wealthiest 0.1% while individuals making $50,000 see a benefit of only $0.67 per day 
    • Kicks 17 million Americans off Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage, including 186,580 Connecticut residents 
    • Hikes health care premiums for the average CT-01 enrollee on the Access Health CT exchange by $1,550/year 
    • Slashes SNAP nutrition benefits by $186 billion, ensuring at least 34,000 Connecticut residents see their benefits cut or eliminated 
    • Triggers nearly $500 billion in cuts to Medicare, reducing funding for doctors and hospitals 
    • Moves up Social Security’s insolvency to 2032, forcing across-the-board benefit cuts if no action is taken 
    • Raises energy costs by $344/year for the average Connecticut household 
    • Reduces or eliminates Pell Grants for 43,735 college students in Connecticut
    • Increases the national debt by $3.94 trillion over the next ten years