Here in New Britain, we have long known the admirable qualities of State Representative John Geragosian (D-25). He has been one of our state legislators since 1995 and is well known in our community for his generosity, kindness, intelligence and conscience. He is respected among many circles in our community and he has been a strong advocate for our city for a long time. He is now the "dean" of the New Britain delegation, the longest serving of the city legislators.
Now the rest of the state gets to find out what a skillful and principled leader John Geragosian is because he has just been appointed Chair of the state legislature's Appropriations Committee by Chris Donovan, the new Speaker of the state House of Representatives.
News about legislative leadership assignments is not often followed closely outside the walls of the State Capitol, so it might not be widely known just what a big deal this is. The Appropriation Committee deals with the state budget on behalf of the legislature, and the chairs of that committee have an important role in the creation of the final state budget. The position to which John has been appointed is among the most influential and important in the state. It is a real honor for our community to have Rep. Geragosian as Appropriations Chair.
This is not the first time a legislator from New Britain has held this important position. As John McNamara has pointed out , former State Senator Joseph Harper was the Chair of the Appropriations Committee for the State Senate. (The Connecticut state legislature has a system of joint House-Senate committees in which each committee has both a House Chair and a Senate Chair.) And, from 1999 to 2002, one of my predecessors, State Representative David Pudlin, was the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives. Rep. Geragosian now becomes the next of the important state leaders to have been from our city.
If you know John Geragosian's family, you know where he got his great qualities from. John is a realtor, taking after his mother, Harriet. Harriet, owner of Unique Reality, is one of the kindest, gentlest people you are likely to meet. Yet she has firm political values for fairness and equality, for which she strongly advocates.
John's father, Harold Geragosian, is a longtime local attorney. Harold is very respected as a strong and skillful advocate and as a man of great principle. He is still remembered as the attorney who, decades ago, advocated for New Britain's Puerto Rican Society when it was being formed and in its early years.
John has taken all of the admirable qualities from both of his parents into his own life's work. He is cheerful and friendly and liked by just about everyone, and yet he is a strong figure helping people. He worked hard as a City Council member from 1989 to 1993. As a state legislator, he has advocated for workers' rights on the job, affordable quality health care coverage, justice and equality and property tax reform. He has an uncanny ability to push aside the hubris of politics and challenge powerful figures on behalf of average, everyday people.
It is that quality that I suspect made him the choice of incoming Speaker Donovan for the powerful Appropriations Chair. With the state facing both a massive deficit and an even worse economic predicament, we will need strong leaders like John to make sure that the state government does not stick its head in the sand just when our state's people need its help the most. Getting through the problems we face will take a person with strong principles, an agile mind, a tough spirit and a really good sense of humor.
This is exactly the combination of talent and demeanor for which our own John Geragosian is known. He did not seek out this position, not being one to put himself in the spotlight. But, here in New Britain, we can be proud to know that he is just the right person for this important challenge.
Now the rest of the state gets to find out what a skillful and principled leader John Geragosian is because he has just been appointed Chair of the state legislature's Appropriations Committee by Chris Donovan, the new Speaker of the state House of Representatives.
News about legislative leadership assignments is not often followed closely outside the walls of the State Capitol, so it might not be widely known just what a big deal this is. The Appropriation Committee deals with the state budget on behalf of the legislature, and the chairs of that committee have an important role in the creation of the final state budget. The position to which John has been appointed is among the most influential and important in the state. It is a real honor for our community to have Rep. Geragosian as Appropriations Chair.
This is not the first time a legislator from New Britain has held this important position. As John McNamara has pointed out , former State Senator Joseph Harper was the Chair of the Appropriations Committee for the State Senate. (The Connecticut state legislature has a system of joint House-Senate committees in which each committee has both a House Chair and a Senate Chair.) And, from 1999 to 2002, one of my predecessors, State Representative David Pudlin, was the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives. Rep. Geragosian now becomes the next of the important state leaders to have been from our city.
If you know John Geragosian's family, you know where he got his great qualities from. John is a realtor, taking after his mother, Harriet. Harriet, owner of Unique Reality, is one of the kindest, gentlest people you are likely to meet. Yet she has firm political values for fairness and equality, for which she strongly advocates.
John's father, Harold Geragosian, is a longtime local attorney. Harold is very respected as a strong and skillful advocate and as a man of great principle. He is still remembered as the attorney who, decades ago, advocated for New Britain's Puerto Rican Society when it was being formed and in its early years.
John has taken all of the admirable qualities from both of his parents into his own life's work. He is cheerful and friendly and liked by just about everyone, and yet he is a strong figure helping people. He worked hard as a City Council member from 1989 to 1993. As a state legislator, he has advocated for workers' rights on the job, affordable quality health care coverage, justice and equality and property tax reform. He has an uncanny ability to push aside the hubris of politics and challenge powerful figures on behalf of average, everyday people.
It is that quality that I suspect made him the choice of incoming Speaker Donovan for the powerful Appropriations Chair. With the state facing both a massive deficit and an even worse economic predicament, we will need strong leaders like John to make sure that the state government does not stick its head in the sand just when our state's people need its help the most. Getting through the problems we face will take a person with strong principles, an agile mind, a tough spirit and a really good sense of humor.
This is exactly the combination of talent and demeanor for which our own John Geragosian is known. He did not seek out this position, not being one to put himself in the spotlight. But, here in New Britain, we can be proud to know that he is just the right person for this important challenge.
