Contrary to what the candidates for the 33rd State Senate seat spin, Republican Art Linares Jr. and Democrat Jim Crawford are not small business owners. Their businesses were/are operated by family members or family moneyed associates. Mr. Crawford's parents ran the Maples Motel and they signed the sale papers in 2001. I don't think Mr. Crawford should assign himself the role as "marketing consultant" in this family motor court operation, do you? Mr. Linares Jr., he was co-founder of the Greenskies concept, only. He had a dream; woke up, forgot about it and went to school. It was the other co-founder along with Linares Sr. and big business owner Bob (Democrat) Landino who got Greenskies going and growing. In a meet-the-men-of- Greenskies publication Linares Jrs.'s name isn't even mentioned!

How dare they swap their small business ownership stories with Green Party candidate Melissa Schlag who truly is a small business owner!

Ms. Schlag co-founded and for two years has been working with the Citizens for the Protection of Public Land and Haddam's Senior Tax Abatement Committee to articulate the needs of all the people. Ask the members of these organizations what they feel about her leadership skills, her ability to bring them together, to inspire and engage them.