David Collins’ recent column, or rather, sophomoric tirade, tells us all we need to know about the future of liberal media and the Democratic Party in Connecticut and Washington. Collins has become a predictable and tiresome servant for a socialist ideology that has run its course. The results are in and the majority of people want no more of it.

The best Collins can do is to say no Republican for public office should be considered if he or she fails to denounce President Trump. He makes no such demands on Democrats concerning the bizarre rantings of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi or the crazy U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., the latter of whom has called for open intimidation of Trump administration officials in their private lives, if not outright violence. Collins implies that any Connecticut voter who casts a ballot for Trump is an uninformed racist.

Connecticut voters are tuning out this hysterical rhetoric by Collins and others that serve the interests of the once-proud Democratic Party.

In his attempt to gather attention, Collins crafts all of his discredited and weak attacks on President Trump and his administration to convey a sense of crisis to the Republic. It’s a common diversionary trick by those who have lost the argument and have a miserable political hand to play. All politics is local and so what is most important to voters is what affects them directly, on a daily basis, as it affects their ability to have a free and productive life. Connecticut’s financial condition has been destroyed by the Democrats and their response to this is − it's President Trump’s fault.

President Trump had nothing to do with Connecticut’s shrinking economy as large companies fled to neighboring states, while others scaled back their workforce or held off plans for growth. President Trump didn’t raise Connecticut’s state taxes or bloat its spending, leaving us with a $4 billion projected deficit. And President Trump was nowhere to be seen when Democrats failed to make the payments necessary for pensions and health care pension obligations, allowing the bill to skyrocket to between $60 billion and $100 billion.

Democrats have had their four decades of growing the bureaucracy, handing over the keys to the treasury to the state employee unions, emptying our prisons and allowing our large cites to fall close to insolvency. Some Republicans slowed many of those policies, others were complicit in not seeing the long-term problems, but the real problem lies in the branch of government that drafts the regulations, sets the taxation tables and holds the bureaucracy to account – the General Assembly – and it has been Democrat controlled for two generations.

The Trump economic policies have propelled many other states to robust growth in jobs, salaries and investments, while Connecticut brings up the rear like an overweight parade marcher at an Oktoberfest. They haven’t worked here as well because of the collective weight of state taxes, regulation, and long-term obligations, coupled with the most anti-business attitude ever. 

Republicans have long believed and argued that as the power of the state takes over more of our lives, overregulates commerce, and borrows against tomorrow’s future, it leads to a more divided and unproductive society. If Republicans were given the opportunity to completely reform the government, put people back in control of their lives and demand accountability from those delivering state services – private or public – life could be more pleasant, affordable and livable.

What matters in this election is what happens here in Connecticut, where we can hold our local and state officials accountable to make things happen – now – not down the road through federal direction under a Republican or Democrat. It’s what is beneath our feet, what we do with each day to make our families safe and how we bring Connecticut back from the brink that matters. It’s up to Republicans to lead the way. And it’s up to the people to say once and for all that they have had enough, and vote Republican in November.

Scott Aument is the vice chairman of the Groton Republican Town Committee.