New Britain Herald: 41 towns in 41 days for Murphy campaign

August 04 2010

The New Britain Herald covered the kick-off of the campaign's 41 Towns in 41 Days tour.

By Scott Whipple
Staff Writer
NEW BRITAIN — U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, D-5th District, went door to door Monday with his “Buy American” survey. He got an earful from New Britain voters.

The congressman, who kicked off his 2010 “41 Towns in 41 Days” door-knocking tour, wanted to know if voters supported stronger “Buy American” laws to help Connecticut manufacturers compete with foreign companies for U.S. government contracts. He also wanted to know some of their strongest concerns.

Victor Rodriguez of Allen Street told Murphy and state Rep. Tim O’Brien, who campaigned with him, that he’s working fewer hours now and many of his friends and family have lost jobs.

“My father worked for a company in Windsor,” Rodriguez said. “He got laid off last year when the jobs went to China. Since he was 18, he’s worked as a machinist; now he’s 53, out of work and wonders what he’s going to do.”

Murphy told him he was trying to stop the offshoring of jobs. “We’re spending taxpayers dollars to buy stuff from China,” he said. “We should buy American and keep jobs here.”

Rodriguez complained about taxes in New Britain and said his mother wanted to leave the state. He promised to look Murphy up, but had harsh words for U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd and President Obama and called health care reform “unconstitutional. The government can’t make you buy something.”

Still, when he comes to political parties he said he remains undecided.

“I don’t like the Republicans either,” he said. “But, I think the Democrat party is weak and corrupt.”

While Rodriguez completed Murphy’s survey, O’Brien suggested he vote for the person, not the party.

“I’m glad you guys came out,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve heard stories of people calling their representative and not getting an answer.”

O’Brien gave him his home phone number and told him to call at any time.

“To me it doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or Democrat,” Rodriguez said. “What matters is if you’re honest and not a crook.”

Chris Oquendo of Pinehurst Street said he needed a business loan to add drivers and beef up his delivery service.

“I’d like to hire a few guys and put them on the road,” he said. “The more business I can get the more work I can give them.”

However, Oquendo said to expand his business he needs the capital to buy two vans, but financial institutions and city hall haven’t been encouraging about loans. Murphy told him to call his New Britain office.

“I can think of a couple of federal programs that could help you,” he said.

Earlier, volunteers gathered at Murphy’s West Main Street campaign headquarters before fanning out across the city, looking for votes.

Over the last few years, Murphy has knocked on thousands of doors in Connecticut to learn what’s on the minds of state residents, later turning constituent ideas into legislation. Throughout this year’s door-knocking tour, Murphy said he will be listening and asking people to sign on as “citizen co-sponsors” to his Buy American efforts.

Julie Kushner, regional United Auto Works director, said Ansonia Brass & Copper has been told by the U.S. Navy to compete with a German company for a contract to manufacture a key part for Electric Boat.

“This is just wrong,” she said. “Not only is this not going to create jobs, we’re going to lose jobs in this district if they get away with it.”

Murphy said that Ansonia is the only U.S. company that makes the specific tubing for U.S. submarines.

“It’s an incredibly complicated process involving machinery only used for that type of production,” he said. “If Ansonia should go out of business, God forbid we should ever be in a situation where we aren’t allies with the country making that part.”

Murphy said even if the cost is 10 or 20 percent less to make the part overseas, it doesn’t take into account the lost wages, lost taxes and increased unemployment benefits that come with a lost job in the United States.

“This more than cancels out the small decrease in price,” Murphy said. “I think we can win these arguments in every stage of the game whether it’s 70 jobs in Waterbury or 2,000 jobs in Cheshire. We’ve just got to make this argument to anybody who will listen.”