ANSONIA - Mayor David S. Cassetti – six term Mayor of Ansonia and former amateur boxer – formally announced his campaign for State Representative of the Connecticut’s 104th District, representing Ansonia and Derby, in a rousing speech delivered at the Riverwalk Gazebo on Division Street this past Wednesday morning before a large crowd of supporters.
“Up in Hartford ... up there at the Capitol ... I’m sorry, we just are not seeing the same fighting spirit that we have here in the Valley,” Mayor Cassetti said, before excoriating state legislators for “throwing in the towel” on vital issues including fair education funding for distressed communities, affordability, and crime.
Pulling no punches, Mayor Cassetti observed that Hartford was “balancing its budget on the backs of local taxpayers and schools” while “passing laws that redefine crime to the point that criminals feel empowered and untouchable.”
Cassetti, a popular local official is well known for his successful Ansonia Recharged revitalization initiative, warned that the economic comebacks of Valley cities like Ansonia and Derby are being imperiled by Hartford’s mistakes: “they are putting everything we are fighting for at risk,” he told supporters.
Mayor Cassetti announced that he would be stepping forward as “a new champion for the Valley in Hartford” and “the voice of a unified Valley that will never throw in the towel.”
An amateur boxer in his youth, Mayor Cassetti pointed out the crucial difference between fighting “against others” in the ring and “for others” as a public servant. He concluded that fighting for his community was ultimately more satisfying, and that his accomplishments as Mayor – such as “lowering taxes by 13 mills” and “clearing acres of empty factory space to create new jobs” – were “the real knock outs.”
Cassetti also made clear to supporters that he intends on continuing his term as Mayor of Ansonia while serving as State Representative, making him an even more effective and credible representative for the Valley on the floor of the State House.
This is a release from Cassetti's campaign.
