To the editor
I met Jill Oberlander years ago, as a fellow delegate to our
Representative Town Meeting, and after committee work on Finance and
on Labor Contracts, she is battle-ready for Hartford. Jill will
challenge the status quo until we have low volatility in state
budgets, not as an end in itself, rather as part of a larger mission.
As a parent of three, she believes strongly that a central part of
responsible government is finding operational efficiencies, so that
Connecticut can sufficiently fund high quality preschool, public
elementary and secondary schools and invest in public institutions of
higher learning including community colleges, technical schools and
UConn. Reports have shown every state dollar allocated to UConn,
results in an increase in Connecticut’s gross domestic product. As a
result of this state support, the University attracts hundreds of
millions of dollars to the Connecticut economy. Jill will work to
make UConn affordable for residents and a nationwide resource for
entrepreneurs. A majority of UConn graduates become Connecticut
residents, building homes, careers and businesses. For Greenwich
residents, Jill supports universal access to preschool to narrow the
achievement gap experienced by disadvantaged students, leading to
improved high school graduation rates and job readiness. Jill
believes Greenwich high school students should have access to
vocational and technology education through external partners and will
work to create an educated workforce for Connecticut’s jobs of the
future. As a result of minimal state support for Greenwich public
school construction, we rely on town funding for ongoing renovation
and renewal. Jill will advocate for more state funding of our 15
schools’ infrastructure needs and especially to meet the pressing need
for New Lebanon school’s expansion. Her collaborative leadership
style is distinctive and will win her a lot of support from all parts
of town. Shoreline residents are fortunate to have in Jill, a
champion for all neighborhoods, all schools and all families. Jill is
the very best candidate to provide access, quality and vision for
education.
Jennifer Dayton
Riverside, CT
