Simmons Said People Care About Results
Alarmed at the proposed $1.5 billion reduction in local law enforcement funding, Old Saybrook Police Department Chief Edmund Mosca contacted Simmons requesting restoring previous funding levels.
Simmons is working in a Congressional conference committee to get funding restored, Mosca said.
Mosca and Simmons agree supporting law enforcement solely from municipal property taxes is extremely difficult and believe federal assistance is necessary for essential police services.
Simmons is familiar with the needs of law enforcement since he served as former Chairman of the Stonington Police Commission.
“In the modern era, when there is a threat to the homeland, we must be able to talk to each other,” Simmons said, adding he recognizes the need for continued funding to improve interoperability for municipal police department communications systems.
“Eastern Connecticut has many municipalities served by state police with a highly effective Resident State Trooper Program,” Simmons said, adding that all of these towns can directly communicate with each other.
However, towns such as Old Saybrook, Clinton, and Madison are unable to communicate directly with each other which can be problematic in an emergency situation.
“If there was a terrorist incident on the Baldwin Bridge, Mosca needs to talk to six to twelve departments for emergency response and this can’t be easily done,” Simmons said.
Police departments rely partly on cellular communications, Simmons said, but these systems can get rapidly burdened.
Simmons’ vision for public safety extends beyond local law enforcement funding and includes transportation problems.
“According to a recent study, in 2008 all of I-95 will be congested to the point traffic won’t be able to move at the posted speeds,” Simmons said, adding he is concerned of bottleneck areas such as the Baldwin Bridge and the Groton/Mystic area.
Simmons said one of his relatives visiting him on a recent Saturday in August told Simmons it took him five hours to drive on I-95 from Greenwich to Stonington.
The DOT’s $1.6 billion proposal to expand I-95 to three lanes in each direction from Branford to Stonington with ramp improvements is a project supported by Simmons.
Construction for the project, however, cannot begin until after permits and environmental impact statements are finalized, Simmons said.
Simmons said that congestion problems occur partly because of the number of ramps onto Connecticut’s 120-mile segment of I-95 which has 92 exits versus the 138-mile Massachusetts Turnpike consisting of only 28 exits.
Part of solving congestion problems must include mass transportation, Simmons said, adding he believes more will ride the rails if service is improved by having on-time trains at a reasonable cost and creating a clean and comfortable environment for all passengers.
Simmons said while rail service from New Haven and points west is good, he believes there should be improvements made east of New Haven and said Shoreline East, which provides rail service from New Haven to New London, operates on “irregular schedules.”
Simmons does not believe it is necessary to sacrifice the environment for transportation improvements and as an example points to his support for the Route 11 project which would include a greenway with bicycle and walking trails and protected areas for animals.
“We’re going to make Route 11 the green highway of America with a greenway securing open space, endangered habitat over and above mitigation,” Simmons said.
Route 11 is a four-lane highway starting in Colchester and terminating in Salem forcing traffic to travel Routes 82 and 85, both two-lane roads to connect with Interstate 95.
Simmons work has led to the Eight Mile River receiving a National Wild and Scenic Rivers System designation so that it can receive federal protection.
The need to preserve the 1,000-acre parcel of property in the towns of Old Saybrook, Westbrook, and Essex, “The Preserve”, is one Simmons understands and asks that these towns write a grant proposal.
Federal funds secured with assistance from Simmons have helped municipal local fire departments, libraries, health services, environmental preservation groups, Valley Shore Emergency Communications, and assisted area residents who lost their jobs as a result of the closing of the Ames Department Store chain.
Simmons, who is running for his fourth term, will be running against Democrat challenger Joe Courtney, from Vernon.
