Catholic Transcript Online

HARTFORD – Only about 17 percent of all candidates for Connecticut’s General Assembly seats – 54 out of 315 – responded to a survey distributed by the Catholic bishops of the state, according to the bishops’ public policy and advocacy group.

Michael C. Culhane, executive director of Connecticut Catholic Conference, said that 17 of the 65 major party candidates (26.15 percent) for state Senate seats responded to a survey asking their views on education, the death penalty, teen health, universal health care, marriage and assistance to low-income residents.

The same questions were sent to 250 candidates for state House seats. Of these, only 37 candidates (14.8 percent) responded, he said.

In the Hartford Archdiocese, 21.38 percent of the candidates responded. Eleven of 20 Senate candidates responded (55 percent), and 23 of 139 House candidates responded (16.55 percent).

A separate survey was sent to the 10 major candidates in the five Congressional districts who are up for House seats in the federal elections. Three candidates responded. Topics included education, immigration, marriage, aid for the needy, freedom of conscience and access to health care.

“When you look at the basic questions outlined in the surveys, it is important to note what the Catholic Church in Connecticut does for the people of Connecticut,” said Mr. Culhane. The four Catholic hospitals in the state have yearly operating expenses exceeding $1.4 billion, he said. In addition, the 138 Catholic schools in Connecticut save taxpayers more than $400 million per year, and Catholic Charities throughout the state is the largest provider of social services in Connecticut after the state itself, he said.

“So many people view the Church as just interested in the basic moral values,” he said. “But the Church, because of these moral values, has a great interest in health care, education and social services.”

Mr. Culhane said the candidates were informed in an Aug. 25 letter that accompanied the surveys that the results would be published in the four diocesan newspapers, on the Connecticut Catholic Conference Web site (www.ctcatholic.org) and in the church bulletins of all 397 parishes in the state.

“We are disappointed in the results,” Mr. Culhane said. “I met with the bishops [on Sept. 12] and we went over the results, which were preliminary at the time. They were disappointed as well.”

A similar survey sent in July to candidates in the Aug. 12 primaries also garnered a scant response. Only 11 out of 42 candidates responded to that survey (see August’s Catholic Transcript, p. 1).

Mr. Culhane urged prospective voters to call the candidates of their districts, if they did not respond, and to ask why they didn’t.

“I would hope that the Catholics of Connecticut would review the survey, take a very serious look at the results and go out on their own to get answers to these questions from the nonresponders,” he said. “Call them up and ask them, ‘What is your position?’” he said.