Candidate Profile: Justin Paglino For 3rd Congressional District

CONNECTICUT — The 2020 election is heating up in Connecticut and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Eyes are primarily focused on the presidential election, but every U.S. House of Representatives seat is also up for election.

Justin Paglino, a Guilford resident is running for the 3rd Congressional District. The district covers New Haven and several surrounding towns.

Age: 47
Party affiliation: Green Party
Family:Jill (spouse) 47
Dean (son) 14
Elise (daughter) 10
Occupation:Clinical Pathology 2 years. Virological Medical Research 15 years.
Previous elected experience:none
Family members in government:Spouse Jill is program coordinator for Clinton Youth and Family Services
Campaign website: http://justin4all.org

The single most pressing issue facing our state is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Unaffordable Healthcare. Like 2/3 Americans, but only 1/3 candidates on the ballot, I support Medicare for All. Everyone should be guaranteed comprehensive medical care without charge. The savings from efficiency of scale and from eliminating the profit motive from health insurance means that Medicare for All will be up to 15% LESS expensive than our current healthcare costs; that means a savings of up to $500 billion per year. The cost will be public instead of private, but can be covered via progressive income tax, i.e. a sliding scale. The cost will thus be distributed fairly, and healthcare will be distributed fairly, that is to say equally to all.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
I support Medicare for All and my opponents do not. I support Ranked Choice Voting, which eliminates the spoiler effect from our system, and my opponents do not. I support bold laws to wean us from fossil fuels: a ban on fracking, and/or a carbon tax and dividend to all Americans, and my opponents do not. I support a Federal Jobs guarantee: putting Americans to work at good paying jobs greening our infrastructure, and my opponents do not. I support term limits, and my opponents do not. I support reining in the Pentagon budget, and my opponents do not.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I graduated medical school at Brown University, trained for two years of clinical pathology residency at Yale New Haven Hospital, earned a PhD from Yale University in medical virology research, worked for 10 years as a researcher, published several first-author research articles, and won a five-year grant to fund my research hypotheses related to virological therapy of cancer. The work of a responsible Congressperson requires diligence, attention to detail, and integrity, all of which I have demonstrated in my career. My science background also helps me to identify solutions that have the strongest scientific evidence to support them.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:
Medicare for All. Ranked Choice Voting to eliminate the spoiler effect. Bold Climate Action: a Green New Deal that includes a ban on fracking , carbon tax and dividends, and a federal jobs guarantee. Rein in out of control Pentagon spending. Term Limits. Universal free Pre-K, public college, trade school, paid family leave and paid sick leave. Living wage tied to inflation. Replace the drug war with an army to fight addiction. US should unwind our military entanglement in the oil-rich middle east, let's be honest: we need a foreign policy that seeks peace before profit. Re-invest in science-based public health to protect the health and safety of the public. Quality education and guidance for all.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I'm running because I felt these issues needed a candidate. If you want something, you have to vote for it. And in order to vote for it, you need a candidate who supports it. If you want the same policies that I do, I am the candidate that gives you the opportunity to vote for them.