State Rep. Frey, Heyman Discuss Local Issues at Debate

To view where candidates stand on issues relevant to Ridgefield, and to add your comments, click here for the 2010 Patch Voter Guide.

Alongside the state senatorial debate Thursday night in Ridgefield, House candidates state Rep. John Frey and Joseph Heyman discussed similar issues with a slightly more local flavor in the 111th District.

Both candidates opposed the state income tax straight off the bat, Heyman calling it "upsetting" and Frey saying, "It's no surprise we're in the situation we're in."

But one of their biggest clashes of the night was over last year's widening of Rte. 7.

Heyman said the addition of two more lanes to the highway caused the route "to go from a dangerous two-lane highway to a dangerous four-lane highway."

Frey, however, called the project one of his proudest achievements citing no increase in fatal accidents and the fact that the speed limit remained the same.

After being asked their positions on capital punishment, Heyman did not come out and say he was opposed to it, but said that his service in Vietnam caused him never to take death lightly.

 "I'm pragmatic," Heyman said. "The death penalty has done little or nothing for the crime rate in Texas, and the appeals process costs more than life imprisonment."

Frey said the use of capital punishment "ought to be rare," but that "people's minds changed after the tragic events in Cheshire, and I can say it's appropriate in certain situations."

The issue of fuel zone pricing – charging more to deliver gas to Ridgefield than to Danbury – also came up.

Frey called the zone pricing unfair and supported a ban, while Heyman was against tinkering with the market and said he wanted less government control.

In closing, Frey said he "still gets a shiver" when he walks into the state Capitol, indicating his ability to look upon his position with fresh eyes despite six terms in the seat and to "keep things in perspective."

Heyman used his closing remarks to cite the fact that Ridgefield receives $6.3 million from the state while giving $90 million in income and sales taxes, comparing those figures to other towns in the area.