Catholic Transcript Online

Michael C. Culhane, executive director of the Connecticut Catholic Conference, says the silence speaks volumes.

"No response is a response in my view," said Mr. Culhane, whose office is the public policy and advocacy arm of the state’s Catholic bishops.

"I think a nonresponse is indicative of a candidate not taking the important issues of the conference to heart," he added.

Party-registered voters in dozens of cities and towns will vote Aug. 12 for candidates who want to run for the state legislature in November.

In a cover letter that accompanied the questionnaire as well as in second mailings to candidates who did not respond to the first, candidates were told that their responses would be disseminated to all Catholic parishes and schools in their district.

"The 1.34 million Catholics who reside in Connecticut – and the 37,500 Catholic and non-Catholic students attending one of the state’s 138 Catholic schools – want to support candidates who will respect and preserve the important work and efforts of the Catholic Church in Connecticut," said the letter that accompanied the questionnaire, dated July 1. The candidates were asked to respond by July 14. Reminders and duplicate copies of the questionnaires were sent on July 16 to those who hadn’t responded.

The surveys asked the candidates to rate themselves as supporting (S), leaning to support (LS), leaning to oppose (LO) or opposing (O)certain legislation in the areas of assistance to low-income residents, education, teen health, marriage and the death penalty. To see how the candidates responded to the survey, click here

Pastors were asked to insert the results of the questionnaires, including information about the candidates who didn’t respond, in church bulletins distributed Aug. 2 and 3.

Mr. Culhane said it was important that pastors publicized [the results of the survey for several reasons: so that parishioners may seek answers from candidates on their own, to encourage more candidates to respond to a survey the conference plans to take prior to the November general election, and because the candidates were told that their responses would be published.

Mr. Culhane said the survey, the first of its kind ever undertaken by the conference, is designed to encourage the faithful to learn before casting ballots about the candidates who seek to be their legislators.

"It’s not easy to be a responsible voter, but the Catholic Church can make a positive difference in this primary on Aug. 12 and in the general election in November," Mr. Culhane said. The voters of Connecticut must be educated regarding important social issues, he added.

The following are the questions that were on the survey:

1. Do you support the adoption of a state earned income tax credit, based on the federal earned income tax credit, aimed at reducing the financial burden on low-income families?

2a. Would you support a proposal that would allow tax credits for corporations and individuals that donate to scholarship funds for middle and lower income students to attend a private or religious school, or an out-of-district public school?

2b. Would you support a proposal that would allocate state funds for textbook loans to religious and private schools as is done in 19 other states?

3. Would you support the repeal of the death penalty in Connecticut?

4a. Would you support increasing the current age limit under which an abortion provider must give counseling to include all girls under 18 years of age?

4b. Do you support the passage of legislation to require notification of an adult family member prior to a girl under 18 years of age having an abortion?

5. Do you support passage of legislation establishing same-sex marriage by repealing the current state law defining marriage as between one man and one woman?

The following candidates did not respond to the survey:

State Senate candidates Sen. John Fonfara, D-1st District; Moira Wertheimer, R-8th District; Marilyn Moore, D-22nd District; Terry Tierney and Duane Perkins, D-24th District and Matthew Brennan, D-30th District.

Also, House candidates State Rep. Marie Kirkley-Bey, D-5th District; Carmen Sierra and Hector Robles, D-6th District; Joseph Hachey, D-9th District; Michael Crockett and Clifton Thompson, R-9th District; Timothy LeGeyt and Tom Harrison, R-17th District; Jason Carlascio, R-74th District; State Rep. Corky Mazurek and Karen Houghtaling, D-80th District; and Garey Winfield, D-94th District.

Also, State Rep. Deborah Heinrich and Gina Tracy, D-101st District; State Rep. Terry Backer and Michael Singh, D-121st District; State Rep. Charles Clemons and William Stewart, D-124th District; State Rep. Christopher Caruso and Carlos Silva, D-125th District; State Rep. Andres Ayala Jr. and Lydia Martinez, D-128th District; Auden Grogins, D-129th District and Sylvester Salcedo and Ezequiel Santiago, D-130th District.