Wallingford Town Council Vice Chairman Tom Laffin is running
for reelection this November. Tom is an
articulate and soft-spoken individual on the council who is concerned with
neither ego nor fan fare as he looks at and decides on the issues of our
community. I am impressed with
his knowledge on issues and his ability to communicate his thoughts to the
public. He has a desire to serve our town. He and his family
are active in our community.
From his campaign literature and website:
I have met a ton of people over the past couple of years
while working on, and working to be on, the Town Council. I am still
knocking on doors, chatting with people at events like Celebrate Wallingford,
youth football and soccer games, or bumping into them at the grocery store,
seeking very real, personal interactions...and a lot of people say to me,
“you’re a young guy, with kids, why are you doing this?”
I’m 35 years old. I’m told I look younger than
that, but with a 9 and 7 year old running around and me chasing after them, I
feel much, much older. I have been involved in some sort of service my
entire life, and when I graduated college I wanted to continue doing that, so I
got involved. For over 13 years I have served in various posts - I served
on the Inland Wetlands Commission, I was elected to the Board of Education when
I was 25, I served multiple terms as PTO Vice President, a Cub Scout Leader,
and in my second term as a town councilor I was elected as Vice Chairman.
I love all of these positions because in each one of them, I get to be a part
of a team looking to make our town more than just another town, but a
community.
I have a record of fiscal responsibility - cutting added
lines out of the budget, not being afraid to say ‘no’ to some spending
requests, but I also have a record of supporting programs and spending to keep
our town healthy and safe through my support of the overall budget.
I have a record of being responsive to neighbors’ needs,
by working with other town leaders and staff to get things fixed in town, such
as blight in our neighborhoods.
I have a record of keeping things moving and focused on
what is best for the town, whether it is voting with the members of the other
party to sell the American Legion or with my own party to move the issues along
and keep us from getting bogged down in unproductive issues and investigations.
I have a record of sticking to my principles even when it
was contrary to getting what we all wanted, such as when I voted against the
use of eminent domain.
I have a record of choosing to govern rather than make
things political. I'm not a big talker, because I have learned the
fastest way to get someplace is to take the straightest possible route, and I
have found the fastest route is usually the quietest route which,
unfortunately, is difficult when politics are involved.
But I don’t like to think of what I do as politics, but
rather as service - this is my way to help. Politics, however, is often a
necessary evil, like these campaigns, that unfortunately gets in the way of
governing at times. Governing, just like parenting, is a tricky thing -
if you do it right, it will appear to be seamless, people won’t be sure you did
anything at all...that is until they reach a point of appreciation or
reflection...like every November.
Someone once said, ‘decisions are made by the people that
show up’...
In 1670, 126 people got together and settled in what we
now know as Wallingford. 126 people picked up their lives and sought something
better than what they had and they showed up here and chose to be a part of
something bigger. Look where we are today, because a few people showed up.
I believe Tom Laffin should
continue to serve as one of our Town Councilors. He has a professional
approach to issues and problems. His
leadership is essential in 2015 and beyond. Vote Tom Laffin in November.
No comments:
Post a Comment