Suzio, Bruenn Face Off Ahead of Special Election

It took nearly a half-hour into their debate Wednesday for the two candidates in the 13th Senate District race to finally disagree on something.

The question that showcased the political divide between Republican Leonard F. Suzio and Democrat Thomas E. Bruenn, who are vying in a special election to be held Feb. 22 to fill a vacancy, focused on SustiNet, the state’s health care program and a proposal to expand it.

Suzio was quick to say he has “serious reservations” about SustiNet, explaining he believes it ignores the underlying problems in the health care industry, including the shortage of health care professionals, and does not insure better care for patients.

“It’s like putting a Band-Aid on a gaping wound,” he said. “We need to focus on the cure, don’t focus on the symptoms.”

In contrast, Bruenn said SustiNet not only is a good, workable system, but could become even better with a recent proposal to expand it to cover more people and to provide a so-called public option for health care insurance that could provide coverage to the uninsured.

“I worked on this program, I believe in this program,” Bruenn said. It would, he added, also force insurers to lower their rates, something that has some insurance companies lining up to fight the initiative.

“I expect to see (them) come out with all their guns blazing because they don’t want to see a public option.”

The debate, sponsored by Meriden Children First, Greater Meriden Chamber of Commerce, Middlesex Chamber of Commerce and the Record-Journal, drew a crowd of about 100 people to the John Barry Elementary School.

Besides health care, the two candidates also sharply differed on a question about where they stand on binding arbitration, a state-mandated negotiating mechanism for when unions and boards of education stalemate on new contracts.

Suzio, a former school board member, said he opposes it because the threat of having a contract go to binding arbitration, which he said seems to be biased in favor of unions, often puts a stranglehold on school boards when they negotiate with unions.

“It’s killing our cities and towns.”

Bruenn, however, who is currently on the school board and formerly headed the teachers union in Meriden, said binding arbitration saves towns money because without it, unions could go on strike if they don’t reach agreement with school boards.

“It’s a system that works well because it forces both sides to make a last best offer.”

The two men also disagreed starkly on the issue of Gov. Dannel Malloy’s budget proposal, unveiled today, and the tax increases proposed in it.

Suzio said the state budget plan should have included more spending cuts and no tax increases. He suggested the state could save money in areas by increasing Medicaid copayments and eliminating certain education mandates.

“You're cutting social services and education reform and I think it’s wrong,” Bruenn told Suzio.

Bruenn said tax increases are needed, but that Malloy’s budget proposal should have shifted more of the tax burden to the rich instead of the middle class. He also said Suzio’s insistence that the budget can be balanced solely through cuts is wrong and that tax increases are needed.

Despite such deep differences, there were several areas where the two men agreed. Both said they support initiatives that would place more emphasis on early childhood education and both stressed that the state needs to become more business friendly in order to promote job growth.

Both also said they would work to curtail unfunded mandates, regulations imposed on towns and school districts that come with no funding from the state.

Suzio said the state needs to simplify its regulations and mandates on small businesses to make it easier for them to operate.

“We’re better off building an economy based on small businesses,” Suzio said.

Bruenn said he agrees, adding that he opposes “corporate welfare” for large industries and that more funding should go to small businesses.

The 13th Senate District includes Meriden, Middlefield and parts of Middletown and Cheshire.