I read your editorial -- about my campaign DVD -- entitled, "DeStefano's dangerous game," published Thursday. While it is true I am leading Democrats in fund-raising in the campaign for governor, I am also working hard to give voters a real choice in this election between the policies of the last 11 years under Govs. John Rowland and M. Jodi Rell and my vision and ideas on how to build a better and stronger Connecticut for its hard-working families.

Your editorial focused on a very small section of the 23-minute video that talks about the policies of the last 11 years under Rowland and Rell. I want to explain what this section of the DVD means. For more than 10 years Rell not only served faithfully as lieutenant governor to John Rowland, but fully supported his policies.

It is appropriate to question the effect of those policies on our state. It is also appropriate to challenge the effect of those policies on Connecticut families -- and Jodi Rell's record as governor.

Elected officials should expect to be evaluated based on their records and part of Rell's record includes serving in Rowland's administration for more than a decade. As lieutenant governor to Rowland, Rell supported the very policies which have led to our state falling behind -- in creating jobs, improving public education, reducing transportation gridlock and reforming our property-tax system.

Today, we rank last among all states in the nation when it comes to creating jobs. Rell's failure to provide a plan for creating jobs; her veto of comprehensive ethics reform, and her silence on property-tax reform are clear examples of a lack of leadership. These failures hurt Connecticut families every day.

We can be better

Website Vooweb.com provides the biggest collection of professional Web 2.0 Templates. Web 2.0 Templates - its a website templates which made by world-class designers. Buy our Web 2.0 Templates | A family cooking recipes with hundreds of healthy, whole-food cooking recipes for the home cook. Healthy Food cooking Recipes For Your Entire Family

The "corruption of lower expectations" referred to in the video is simply a recognition that we can be such a better state -- that Connecticut should be No. 1 in job growth, not 43rd; that we don't have to accept endless transportation gridlock; that all children should have access to a first-class education; and that we need to reform a property-tax system that is unfair to seniors and hard-working homeowners.

Ultimately, Connecticut voters want more than critiques -- they want solutions -- and that's what my campaign (and the DVD) is about. I invite voters to not only look at Rell's record this past decade but mine as well.

In New Haven, we've created jobs, improved the schools, greatly reduced blight and cut crime in half. During the course of this campaign, we will lay out a plan on how we can move Connecticut in a new direction -- how we can build a better state for our hard-working families. Connecticut families deserve nothing less and I look forward to sharing my message with them over the next year.

I encourage voters to visit our website at www.DeStefanoforCt.com to see segments of the video for themselves; they can even order their own copy.

Through this video, I want Connecticut's families to feel like they know who I am; what we've accomplished in New Haven; why I'm running for governor; what I hope to accomplish as governor; the core values I will bring to the governor's office and what kind of campaign we are going to run.

Working together, we can truly build a better Connecticut.

DeStefano is mayor of New Haven. Email: staff@deste fanoforct.com

Originally published July 22, 2005