As published in CT Examiner
We are fortunate to live in this special part of Connecticut. Greenwich, North Stamford and New Canaan are wonderful towns to call home and to raise a family.
But being fortunate does not mean being untouched by the rising cost of everyday life.
We all notice the higher bill at the grocery store and the rising costs of electricity, insurance, and filling up the car.
These costs take their toll. Young families do the math before buying a house. Older friends do the math to decide if they can stay where they’ve lived for years. For most, it comes down to a simple kitchen table question: Can we afford this?
I know Jill. And she knows families are feeling the squeeze.
Jill is prepared for this. She has dealt with difficult budget and financial issues before and has the experience to deal with them today.
She served on Greenwich’s Board of Estimate and Taxation (the Greenwich finance board) and was unanimously elected its chair in 2018. Jill dealt directly with budgets, competing priorities and tough financial choices.
And she knows the importance of spending money wisely.
She understands the essence of budgeting: there will always be more worthwhile things to do than money to do them. So, the question then is not simply whether government spends more or spends less; the question is whether government spends wisely, plans ahead and remembers where the money comes from.
Jill knows that behind every government budget is a household budget. And the same kitchen table question comes up: Can we afford this?
This common-sense approach is why Jill Oberlander has earned my vote for State Senator. I hope she will earn yours, too.
Svetlana Wasserman