Republican Art Linares said his decision to enter the race for the 33rd District State Senate seat “has a lot to do with my experience as an entrepreneur and a small business owner in this state.” He believes “every generation should have the opportunity to live a better quality of life than that of the past generation.” As he looks around, he said, “I am concerned for our future generations, if we do not change the direction of our state government now.”

Linares, a lifelong resident of Westbrook, is 24. His birthday is Halloween. He started his own company at age 19, he explains, in the basement of his parents’ home. Today Green Skies, a solar company, employs more than 100.

“I know how to create a business, make a payroll, balance a budget, get things accomplished in the business world,” he said.

As he talks with people on the campaign trail, the Republican said 33rd District residents ask first about jobs and the state’s economy.

“There are 137,000 people out of work. How do we get them back to work, residents ask,” he said. “How do we improve this economy?”

In Connecticut 93 percent of workers are employed by small businesses, Linares said, and the state must find a way to help them grow.

“That means bringing new ideas to Hartford,” he said. “I am a job creator. I can do that.”

Linares does not see state government creating a climate for better job growth.

“There are over-bearing regulations and red tape…There is uncertainty over the state’s budget, taxes, spending, and debt,” Linares said. “Business owners are not comfortable”; they see more state spending and fear another tax increase beyond the $1.8 billion tax increase of last year, he contended.

“We have had the largest tax increase in state history, yet we still have a budget deficit and we still keep spending. That’s irresponsible,” Linares said. “I’m a small-business owner. We count and save all our pennies. I can bring that mentality to the legislature.”

Connecticut residents are overtaxed, he added.

“We have to make government more efficient,” Linares said. How to begin? “We need a simple, predictable, affordable tax code.” He will “work together with my colleagues in Hartford to agree that we cannot pass on any more taxes. We can do this together. What the state really needs is a business plan. My business has a plan. Why not the state?”

Making state government more efficient includes addressing abuse, fraud, and waste, the candidate explained.

“There is a $500 million problem with abuse, largely in the Medicaid program. Both parties understand it’s happening. We have to make this a priority if we are to solve it,” he said. “Making government more efficient also means being able to better serve people.”

Linares shares a Cuban heritage with Florida’s U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, a rising star in the Republican Party. Last fall, Linares took four months off from his business to volunteer in Rubio’s Congressional office.

“I learned government at the highest level. It opened my eyes to a lot of issues” and reinforced his desire for public service, he said.

The campaign has meant long hours knocking on more than 7,000 doors in the district, and as the evenings grow shorter, he makes phone calls to voters.

“My message comes from listening to people. I knock on doors of Republicans, Democrats, unaffiliated voters. They all have the same priorities. I share them. They are the core convictions of fiscal responsibility, getting people back to work, taxing them less to live here, growing our economy,” Linares said. “They want the legislature to control spending.”

He hears their comments and he believes they hear him as he explains his platform and his personal story.

“I am a hard worker with a strong commitment to job growth and a goal of reducing the tax burden for the middle class. I will work tirelessly for the people of this district,” Linares said. “To win, I need them to work for me. I am asking them for their vote.”