Where Were They When These Policies Became Law?

Greenwich Democrats say they have “a seat at the table” in Hartford — so the town is protected. Then look at what that seat produced: A higher legal THC limit after ER visits climbed, a housing law that can pile planning pressure equal to 20 percent of Greenwich’s occupied homes, and a 2027 budget raid that billed Greenwich and Stamford taxpayers $236 million. On the housing bill, Meskers voted no on the Republican amendments that could have limited the mandate, then voted a performative no on the finished product. A seat that cannot stop the bill, and will not fix it, is not protection — it is akin to a protection racket.

The phrase is familiar: “Greenwich Democrats have seats at the table in Hartford, so the town is protected.” Really? Let’s take a look at what those seats have produced.

Dangerous Cannabis Potency

In 2026 the legislature raised the limit of THC (the active ingredient of cannabis) in infused drinks (3 mg to 5 mg in package stores; up to 10 mg in dispensaries) and eliminated the 70% cap on concentrates. A 35% cap on flower was stripped and then restored after senators in both parties objected. During the House debate, Rep. Tom O’Dea cited a Massachusetts General Hospital study: teen emergency-room visits with psychiatric symptoms quadrupled after recreational legalization. After a new diagnosis code took effect, CDC data showed cannabis hyperemesis ER visits nearly quadrupled. Higher-THC products are tied to more frequent use, especially in younger people—the chief risk factor for that illness. Nonetheless, the Democrats still expanded the legal latitude for THC use, endangering young people across the state.

Overbuilt Housing — HB 8002

After a November 2025 special session, Governor Lamont signed the omnibus housing bill, which requires towns to adopt housing growth plans. Regional councils set recommended affordable-housing goals. By statute, no recommended goal may exceed 20 percent of a municipality’s occupied dwelling units. Greenwich housing stock is on the order of 23,000 households. A 20% goal is thousands of units of planning pressure on a town already fighting sewer, school, and traffic capacity.

Here is the inconvenient fact for the “seat at the table” line: On HB 8002, Republicans offered three House amendments to protect local zoning and limit the state mandate. Those were the votes that could have changed the bill. On all three, Democrat State Representative Meskers voted no and Arzeno was absent. Every amendment failed. On the final bill Meskers voted a performative no and Arzeno was still absent. Neither filed a Greenwich amendment of his own. While Greenwich Democrats opposed the law after it was locked in, they did not help rewrite it when it could still be fixed. A seat at the table that kills the local-control amendments, then votes no on the finished product, is not leverage. The bottom line is, the Democratic Supermajority did not need Greenwich to pass HB 8002, so it offered a “hall pass” to vote against it. When it came to supporting Greenwich in the amendment process, neither Meskers nor Arzeno were there for us.

The Record is Clear

The housing vote is proof positive. A Greenwich Democrat can oppose a bill and still watch it become law because the supermajority does not need Greenwich’s permission. On cannabis and on the budget, Greenwich Democrats voted with the supermajority.

Fazio and Courpas ran on fiscal guardrails, local control, and keeping Hartford’s experiments off Greenwich’s streets. They voted the way they promised they would vote.

To help Fazio and Courpas in their fight for Greenwich, please vote to send Republicans Jonathan Goldstein and Mike Mason to Hartford. Goldstein and Mason are seeking to replace the incumbent Democrats currently ‘serving’ Greenwich from District 150 (Meskers) and District 151 (Arzeno), respectively.

Greenwich is worth fighting for. Break the Supermajority. Support Republican candidates.