Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JANUARY 27, 2025 9 POLITICS & POLICY 17 and business owners with 14. In the Senate, the top occupation is business owner with five, followed by attorney and union-related (four each). White vs. blue collar An overwhelming majority of legis- lators have white-collar jobs; only a couple (1.08%) qualify as being in, or having worked in, working-class roles. That's below the national percentage determined by a recent Duke University and Loyola University Chicago study, which found the share of state legislators nationwide with working-class jobs in 2023 was 1.6%. In fact, the universities found 10 states where "not a single lawmaker" had a working-class job. The study, which reviewed the occupations of 7,300 lawmakers nationwide, defines working-class jobs as requiring manual labor, like a construction worker; service industry roles like restaurant servers; cler- ical jobs like receptionists; or jobs working for union organizations. It did not count business owners, sole proprietors or farm owners, but did include those who worked for them. It also didn't count traditional blue-collar roles like police officers or firefighters — the General Assembly has five of those. The full list of occupations in Connecticut's legislature is diver- sified and includes some jobs that might be considered unusual for a state lawmaker. For example, Rep. John Piscopo (R-Thomaston) is a former house painter. Sen. Christine Cohen (D-Guil- ford) owns Cohen's Bagel Company, a bakery; Sen. Paul Cicarella (R-North Haven) owns a private investigations firm; and Sen. Norm Needleman (D-Essex) founded a pharmaceutical manufacturing company 40 years ago called Tower Laboratories. Then there's Rep. Kenneth Gucker (D-Danbury), who owns ECI Resto- rations, a business that restores classic Mercury Cougars and Ford Mustangs. 'Swinging a hammer' Gucker says he comes from a "very blue-collar background." He earned a degree in graphic design and studied engineering, eventually working in commercial construction as an engineer. But when the economy soured, he said, "I went back to what got me through life, which was swinging a hammer." Gucker started his own construc- tion business, but restored Cougars on the side. He bought his first Cougar, a 1970 model, while in college at Western Connecticut State University, and he's been restoring them ever since. Gucker founded his restoration business about 25 years ago, when demand for his skills grew to the point where it became his primary income source. He has since built "many show-win- ning Cougars," he said, and is now a national judge for competitions. Gucker has, however, shuttered his restoration business in Shelton to focus on helping his constituents. He's in his third term; he served two terms from 2019-23, lost re-election by a staggeringly close 26 votes, then regained the seat last November. "I still have work that needs to be done, but at this time I want to see what my workload is going to be so I can see if it's worth opening up my shop again," he said. Schedule flexibility Gucker believes his situation illus- trates why there aren't more work- ing-class people in the legislature. "What affects some of these people is the scheduling," he said. "Legisla- tors have to be flexible to be able to come back and forth (to Hartford)." Schedule flexibility is one reason there are so many lawyers and real estate agents in the General Assembly, he added. By contrast, for sole proprietors like himself, or the self-employed, "people think you can call your own schedule," Gucker said. "No, you really can't, because the responsibilities that are incumbent upon you to keep the business open are far, far more" than many realize. Quinnipiac University political science professor Scott McLean agrees. He says there are two schools of thought about the way a state legislature is populated. One is called "descriptive repre- sentation," which suggests the legislature should reflect a state's demographics, including gender, race and educational background. The other suggests that people may believe lawmakers are advocates for various interest groups, but don't need a back- ground that closely reflects those groups. Instead, a professional "might actually do a better job of that if they have a background as, say, a lawyer," McLean said. "Or they might under- stand fiscal policy well because they were a business owner." Pay raise McLean also says that another reason there are so many profes- sionals in the legislature is something more basic: low pay. Until a few years ago, the base pay for legislators was $28,000, reflecting the intended part-time nature of the job. The legislature is in session for six months in every odd year, four months in even years. "You can't live on that, espe- cially when you're working class," McLean said. In 2022, however, the General Assembly approved raising the base pay to $40,000, and it took effect on Jan. 4, 2023, the first increase in more than two decades. The legisla- tion also approved adjusting the rate every term; the first adjustment will increase the base again to $43,600. Legislators can earn additional pay if they have a leadership title, which many do. Annual compensation for committee co-chairs and assistant leaders, for example, is $50,685, according to the CT Mirror. Another issue is that, although it's a part-time position, increasingly the legislator role requires closer to full-time hours, or at least year- round work, particularly for those in leadership positions pulling the strings of power. 'They have no idea' For Yaccarino, serving in the legislature is not about the money. Like Gucker, he has a background in auto repair and believes his experience as a blue-collar worker and business owner is invaluable in the legislature. He says his business is more difficult to operate than other retail stores, because of the volatile nature of and competition for cards and collectibles. And yet, at its core, he still has to keep his shop's lights and heat on, and pay his employees. "I've talked to fellow legislators," Yaccarino said. "They have no idea how hard it is to run this business." A member of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, he said his experience helps him do a better job. "You know, I believe in fiscal responsibility, because with that, you could do more with money," he said. "When I had my busy times, I put money back in the product, or improving the building, or maybe helping my employees a little better. And that goal goes a long way." State Rep. David Yaccarino inside his North Haven DJ's Cards and Comics business, which sells baseball cards, comic books and other collectibles. HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER Kenneth Gucker Scott McLean

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