NEWS
DATE: 10/17/24
Cohen A No-Show for Full House District 12 State Senate Town Hall
As candidates vie for their positions and narrow down their campaign messaging going into the home stretch of the 2024 election season, local candidates prepare to face off against their respective opponents with debates and town hall discussions. Traditionally, these events are hosted by organizations such as the League of Women Voters and the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce, offering residents the opportunity to hear directly from each candidate about the visions they propose if elected. Unfortunately, this year’s opportunities to schedule such events have seemed complicated and elusive due to venue availability, scheduling issues, and an unusual appetite for forum-format discussions. Many see these issues as opportunities for incumbents to avoid direct conversation with their opponents, leaving one to wonder what the outcomes of a vigorous one-on-one debate could have been.
One town hall that was able to take place was the District 12 state senate race between three-term incumbent Christine Cohen and two-time challenger Paul Crisci, attracting a large and diverse crowd of voters, including Democrats, Republicans, independents, and many unaffiliated voters. The event took place at the Stony Creek Brewery and was moderated by popular talk show host Vinnie Penn. The Crisci campaign, as hosts, provided pizza and refreshments for the event. Each candidate was allotted three minutes to answer questions regarding state and district issues voters deemed “top of their list” concerns, such as affordability, utility costs, parental rights, the environment, and crime. Unlike traditional debates, this was intended to be more of a conversation about the issues, along with questions previously submitted online and from attending audience participants. Unfortunately, to the dismay of many, Senator Cohen was a “no-show,” leaving constituents and her opponent questioning why she would miss the opportunity to address voters with what she has deemed her accomplishments and visions for the future. When asked, challenger Paul Crisci stated, “It’s disappointing not just for myself but for the voters. Senator Cohen was contacted numerous times by my campaign to confirm her attendance, but we assumed her lack of response was due to her busy schedule.” Crisci continued, “Nevertheless, I will still answer questions from the audience, and if Senator Cohen arrives late, it would be my pleasure to have the moderator allot her the time necessary to address the attendees.”
Although the absence of Senator Cohen was noticeable, host Vinnie Penn of The Vinnie Penn Project morning show managed the candidate’s absence by redirecting attention to the attending candidate, Paul Crisci. After some brief introductions, Penn got right to it by asking questions on everything from crime to the affordability of utility bills and everyday necessities. However, it wasn’t until questions from voters online and in the audience were asked that voters were given the real opportunity to decide which candidate they should vote for. The first question was directly related to Candidate Crisci’s unique methods of marketing his campaign messages.
Samuel from Branford asked, “Recently, I received a call from a Democratic Party pollster asking for my thoughts on your newspaper ads, particularly since you own a marketing agency. There have been claims that you’ve been tricking people into reading your articles. Could you address the criticism you’ve been receiving and clarify the situation?”
Crisci responded, stating, “First, I am not some Jedi using mental telepathy to make people read a newspaper article. With that said, I am really amazed that there are some people more concerned with the delivery method of the message than the actual content of the message.” Crisci advised, “When Senator Cohen sends a piece of mail with claims of her accomplishments, no one is screaming ‘foul’ at the post office for delivering the mail, even though she paid for the paper, ink, and postage stamp. The articles that have been shared in the newspaper bear the same validity as those of all other media sources.” Crisci punctuated his defense of the situation by saying, “I think sometimes people forget that the Shoreline newspaper exists because of paid advertising dollars. I would hope more people will support them by paying for ads in the paper and donating to their efforts to bring local news to the area.”
The second question was clearly one of pointless but amusing distinction. Diana from Guilford asked: “Who makes your suit jackets?” This was a reference to Crisci’s notable signature wardrobe, which includes custom-made sports jackets with a unique inseam showcasing everything from scripture quotes and his business logo to pictures of his grandson and his dogs. Crisci’s response: “I give all the credit to ‘Tony ‘Suits’ Costanzo. It’s not easy to make my shape and size look somewhat presentable,” Crisci joked. “But in all seriousness, Tony is a great guy known throughout the state for custom formal and casual wear. I highly recommend him.”
The next question came from Tim of Guilford, who offered accolades to Senator Cohen’s environmental record and asked her challenger, Paul Crisci, “Christine Cohen has done an amazing job on the environment, advocating for climate change and protecting our shoreline. If elected, what makes you think you can do a better job?” Crisci responded, “There is no question that Senator Cohen has made the environment the pinnacle of her time as a senator and has participated in bills that include the removal of ‘forever chemicals’ or PFAS, as well as the limitation of plastic bags and straws, which I applaud her for doing. However, she has fallen short in many other areas involving the environment.” Crisci stated, “I have concerns that we are not addressing the core environmental issues that are going to affect our district and state long-term, not just environmentally but financially.” Crisci elaborated, “The environment is an expensive initiative requiring not just vision and wishes but a fiscally responsible method to fund these projects for the long term.
Respectfully, Senator Cohen’s efforts are commendable, but as mentioned, they need to be more than a wishful campaign slogan. These initiatives come at a cost, and in six years, she has not been able to articulate a sound financial plan for how they get paid for, except with the once-in-a-lifetime infusion of COVID relief funds, which are all but gone. That is not a sustainable plan.” Crisci punctuated, “At the end of the day, everything costs money, but it can’t all lie at the feet of the taxpayer, which is why, if elected, I have made it known that I will fight to be on the appropriation committee, where I believe I can be most effective in securing sustainable funds for these vital issues while offering solutions on how to expand our revenue stream for the state.”
The next question came from Grace in Killingworth, who asked, “Former President Trump diminished the value of the good people looking for asylum in our country—where do you stand on the issue of immigration, and would you support legislation for migrants to receive funding and Housing in the State of Connecticut? Crisci’s response: “Being humane and helping people in need is what we as Americans proudly do, but every decision has consequences. Unfortunately, the current administration has unfairly placed the financial and physical burden on states across the country by asking them to figure out how to handle the influx of people migrating to the country. I believe that as a state, it is our responsibility to protect the residents of our state by ensuring that anyone who wants to reside in the state takes the necessary path to citizenship like everyone else so they can contribute to the state by paying their way.” Crisci punctuated his point by saying, “I don’t think anyone disagrees with people residing in our state as long as they become upstanding citizens who pay their fair share to our state and communities.”
The next question came from Nancy in Guilford, who asked, “Do you think our voting system is corrupt?” Crisci responded, “I do have some concerns. Bridgeport, unfortunately, proved that elections can be compromised. I find it concerning that Christine Cohen and the majority leadership’s solution to the Bridgeport problem was to put cameras outside every voter’s box. I’m sorry, but cameras were how ‘Wanda’ was caught; yet it did not cure the issue that the voter’s box was still compromised, resulting in possibly fake or manipulated ballots being cast.” Crisci vowed, “I want fair and legal elections that allow everyone to have the opportunity to vote. If elected, I will propose legislation that gives everyone that opportunity without compromising our elections.” When pressed by host Vinnie Penn on the issue of whether Crisci would support keeping unattended ballot boxes at municipal locations, Crisci replied, “Those outdoor ballot boxes were a temporary solution during the pandemic. Now that COVID is under control and people have full access to their town halls, I see no reason to continue to jeopardize the legitimacy of our elections with these unsecured boxes.”
The next question came from Peter in Madison, who asked, “How do we fund the deficits we run each year due to underfunded pensions?” Crisci responded, “Do all of you see a recurring theme? Every issue and concern this evening comes squarely back to money and fiscal responsibility.” Crisci explained, “It’s complicated to explain, but in simplest terms, we are about twelve years away from getting caught up on our bills when it comes to unpaid pensions. Governor Lamont and Hartford majority leadership used, once again, COVID relief funds to pay down debts over the past few years, but those dollars are going away, and we will be obligated to pay those funds.” Crisci offered his solutions: “We need to generate more money than we spend, which requires a plan to be more frugal with our spending while earning revenue to pay our bills. I have that plan, but I need to be elected to help be part of the solution. Because if someone doesn’t provide a long-term plan to fix this issue, Connecticut will be in a deficit in the next few years, if not sooner.”
Sandy from East Haven posed the question, “Do you have an interest in the legalization of psilocybin for mental health treatment?” Crisci responded by saying, “In all honesty, I can tell you that I am not familiar with the treatment you are speaking of, but I can promise you that mental health is something very important to me for personal reasons. I can assure you of two things: I will continue to improve on the work that I know Christine Cohen has addressed as a senator, and secondly, I will learn more about the treatment you mentioned so I can better understand the options available to people who are suffering from mental health issues.”
The last question was, without exception, one that most Republican candidates find themselves in a quandary over when discussing the subject of abortion. However, to the surprise of many in the audience, Crisci addressed the subject head-on when Hilary from Madison asked, “What is the general Republican position in CT on abortion? Because it is clearly an issue for the party and needs to be addressed.” Crisci confidently responded by stating, “I cannot speak for any Republican any more than I can speak for any Democrat or an independent. I can only tell everyone that I have made my position on this issue abundantly clear.” Crisci explained, “Voters in this state made a decision to elect people who would reflect their positions on issues such as abortion, which means I firmly believe that it is never my place to replace, repeal, or alter any law that has been passed before me while in office, regardless of my faith or beliefs. I have stated in the past that if elected, the only thing I will do is focus my attention on better education and information for those who find themselves facing this very difficult decision.”
As the final discussion drew to a close, Crisci received a resounding round of applause from all who attended. When asked how he felt the evening went, he said, “I thought it went extremely well. There were a lot of tough questions, but at least regardless of the outcome on November 5th, no one can question my sincerity or my willingness to serve.” Crisci also gave a huge shout-out to the Crowley family, owners of the Stony Creek Brewery: “I can’t thank Stony Creek Brewery enough for allowing us to hold an event like this here. It speaks volumes to their commitment to allow residents to hear from both sides about the issues that concern our community and town. They are truly amazing people.” Crisci closed by also thanking host Vinnie Penn, the campaign volunteers, and all the people who attended, expressing his hope that he can one day serve everyone in District 12.