Philip Miller, the Democratic incumbent seeking re-election to his seat as state representative from the 36th State Representative District, believes experience counts and he believes he has the experience necessary to make the decisions to steer Connecticut into the future.

“As a four-time first selectman, as someone who has a history of working across the aisle, as vice chair of a major legislative committee, and as a legislator who had four bills passed in this last legislative session, I have the experience and the background” to represent the four towns that comprise the district and to act to improve life in Connecticut, Miller said.

As he talks with voters, he says they are voicing concerns about jobs and the economy.

“We have seen an extraordinary change over the last several years, nationally and statewide. Jobs are being outsourced, the stock market has been in free-fall, and, although the economy is generally improving, we are still left with problems,” Miller said.

A major one, he admits, was the state budget.

“But unlike other administrations, we closed the $3.5 billion budget gap. We didn’t just kick the can down the road, and the decisions weren’t easy. There were $1 billion in program cuts, for instance, and increases in taxes, but there were also important initiatives,” Miller said.

In answer to concerns from state businesses, Miller said, “We cut the business entity tax in half. We passed a Small Business Express Program [SBEP] to provide a streamlined process for business financial assistance. We established the Main Street Investment Fund to promote economic development in our downtowns.”

He provides a concrete example. Nalas Engineering is expanding and moving its operations to Ivoryton with help from SBEP.

“In years past, corporations have been Connecticut’s job centers. That is no longer true. Now we need to diversify. We need to look at clean energy opportunities, the bio-medical field, and initiatives such as the state’s actions with Jackson Laboratories as well as the synergies created there,” Miller adds, and he applauds Governor Dannell Malloy’s First Five efforts to maintain and grow jobs in the state and the district.

“And we need to remember that Connecticut has a $3.5 billion agricultural industry. They are an important sector of the state’s economy and we all need to be their prime consumers,” Miller said.

As a former first selectman, Miller believes the state needs to “find ways to improve our reliance on local property taxes.” One way to do that would be to have the state subsidize a greater portion of a school district’s special education costs.

“The state sets the standards for special education, they should bear more of the costs. The costs affect property taxes and increasing property taxes really harm seniors,” he said. “It’s a long-standing issue we need to address.”

In his role on the legislature’s Environment Committee, Miller enumerates his work.

“I helped paved the way for the clean-up of waste sites within the district and chaired the group studying genetically modified organism, or additives, in our food. I sponsored a new open space bill that forces the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to survey and document every piece of state property. I sponsored a dam safety bill that was passed overwhelmingly. I am a member of the Shoreline Preservation Task Force studying Long Island Sound.”

Miller said, “I believe I have the experience to make decisions about Connecticut’s future.”