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Showing posts from October, 2022

Enfield Republicans Have Big Cash Advantage in Election, But No Guaranteed Win

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  Signs near Enfield Town Hall With only 23 days left until the Nov. 4 election, Enfield Republicans hold a substantial financial advantage over Democrats — and far more money for last-minute mailers and advertising. But Democrats have come from behind before. Fundraising Totals Show GOP in the Lead According to the latest campaign filings for the period ending Sept. 30, Republicans have raised a total of $47,022, compared to $32,014 for the Democrats. Early voting begins Monday, Oct. 20. Cash on Hand: A Critical Gap What may hurt Democrats in the final days is cash on hand: they report just $3,263, versus $24,418 for Republicans. These figures come from official state campaign-finance documents (Form 20), using: Line 17 – Total Monetary Receipts Line 19 – Expenses Paid by Committee Line 20 – Balance on Hand Different Donor Bases [ Correction ] An earlier version of this post stated that the Enfield Democrats relied mostly on local donors, while Republicans had a broader regional b...

Enfield's economic decline and how to fix it

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  Enfield Planning and Zoning Commission, September meeting to discuss town's overall plan. Enfield is facing several significant problems. Our population is declining, our commercial shopping area is in trouble, and we don't have enough multifamily housing, the type that appeals to young people and empty nesters. I graduated from EHS in 1972 and have lived most of my adult life in other cities. But I've been back here for some years and worry about the town's future. Here's a fast breakdown of this history, the problems, and potential fixes. The once happening town From 1950 to 1970, Enfield's population increased from 15,500 to 46,000, its high point. The completion of I-91 and houses priced low enough for a factory worker's wage encouraged this growth. The town needed to build schools faster to keep up with demand. My class was on double sessions at EHS while the town raced to finish Fermi. As it built schools, Enfield was also planning for the future. Fo...