Election '10: Gregory unveils reform proposals for congressional campaign

Written by Ken Borsuk, Staff Reporter, Greenwich Post

Looking to distance himself from a crowded Republican field and face off against U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D-4) this November, Will Gregory has unveiled the first two parts of a congressional reform plan he says is being done to end the problems of “politics as usual.”

The New Canaan resident and first time congressional candidate, who has been a regular fixture at Greenwich political events in the last few months, was the first Republican to announce a challenge to Mr. Himes, who is seeking a second term after unseating longtime incumbent Republican Christopher Shays in 2008. But now with State Senator Dan Debicella (R-21), Westport businessman Rob Merkle, Bridgeport businessman Rick Torres, and Bridgeport attorney Rob Russo in the race along with him, Mr. Gregory said his platform of congressional reform will allow him to stand out from the pack and not only win the Republican primary set for this August, but capture the seat outright.

In his reform package, Mr. Gregory calls for an end to the tradition of members of Congress being able to vote to raise their salaries, saying it should instead have to be subject to the market by making any pay increases be the lesser of 2% or the rate of inflation. He also proposes ending congressional pensions and instead having members of Congress invest in private retirement or savings plans. Mr. Gregory said by having members of Congress participate in the same Social Security and health care plans as average citizens, they will “see more direct incentives for improving governmental programs.”

Cutting what he sees as wasteful government spending is a major part of Mr. Gregory’s platform and he says that President Barack Obama’s policies, particularly last year’s stimulus plan, have only exacerbated the national debt left behind by President George W. Bush. If elected, Mr. Gregory said he would call for a balanced budget amendment that requires that federal government expenditures not exceed the government’s revenue unless the country is either in a state of war or the budget is approved by a supermajority of Congress. Mr. Gregory has also proposed halting the growth of governmental entitlement programs, and greater transparency on government spending so people know exactly where money is being spent and on what.

In an interview with the Post last week, Mr. Gregory said there will be other parts of the plan revealed through the course of the campaign. Joking that he wanted to keep people tuning in to find out, Mr. Gregory said his reform proposals would be the major theme of his campaign.

“I think we’ve really been heading off track for the past several decades, but especially in the last few years,” Mr. Gregory said. “Congress has gotten out of control. We have career politicians like Chris Dodd who have been in there for 33 years and have lost touch with what really matters and why they’re there. To them, being in office becomes more a matter of personal enrichment than actual public service and that’s not acceptable.”

Mr. Himes has served a little more than a year in office. Before his election in 2008, the seat for decades had been in the Republican hands of long-term incumbent Christopher Shays, who served 21 years in his seat.

Mr. Gregory said he has a “tremendous amount of respect and admiration” for Mr. Shays but he has no intention of serving in the seat as long as he did.

“I’m not going to be a career politician,” Mr. Gregory said. “I want to do my service. I want to contribute to the country, represent the people of this district and then I want to go home and go back to my non-profit and try to contribute to the economy from the private sector. I’m not in it to be a politician for the rest of my life. That separates me from the other guys in this race.”

Mr. Gregory supports a foreign policy that includes war in Afghanistan and said he would vote in favor of funding for 40,000 new troops, even more than is currently being asked. However, he said defense spending is not cheap and when asked how to balance that with his advocacy for cutting government spending, Mr. Gregory said cuts would have to come from discretionary spending. Calling himself a “libertarian, but not an anarchist” Mr. Gregory said he did believe there are times when government spending is necessary, but more areas could be cut by eliminating “pork barrel projects” like all-terrain vehicle trails and mice habitats in California.

“Let’s cut the waste and actually make the budget even,” Mr. Gregory said. “Across this district and across this country we have to tighten our belts and live within our means. Times are not good right now. How can we go waste taxpayer dollars?”

Admitting that getting his proposals through during a normal year would be difficult at best, Mr. Gregory stated that he does not consider this a normal year. He predicts an amount of turnover in terms of incumbents, from both parties, being voted out this November that would create a unique opportunity to enact the changes he is advocating. If elected, Mr. Gregory said he would propose his platform as legislation and loudly advocate for it, taking on both Democrats and his fellow Republicans on the issue.

“I will make sure our leadership sees things the same way and if they don’t, I’ll be making them famous,” Mr. Gregory said. “I will call out anyone from my own party. I will call out anyone from the other parties. We need somebody that’s going to speak to principle.”

Mr. Gregory said he would show independence that he feels Mr. Himes has not. He claims that Mr. Himes has voted with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi more than 95% of the time, putting him in line with policies pushed by Democrats that Mr. Gregory said are leading the country on the wrong track.

That number, which has been bandied about by Republicans for months, is rejected by Mr. Himes’ Communications Director Elizabeth Kerr, saying the facts don’t support the allegation and that Mr. Himes’ independence is backed up by the Washington Post.

“Will’s just copying notes from the National Republican Party,” Ms. Kerr told theGreenwich Post on Tuesday. “If he did his own homework, he’d find that Congressman Himes has the most independent voting record in New England.”

Mr. Gregory’s fellow Republican candidates could not be reached for comment.

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