On a sweltering day during my tour of small businesses in Southington, I stopped in Anthony Jacks Wood Fired Grill and spoke with three women having a late lunch. They all pledged their support for my campaign, including the Democrat among them, who said she was fed up with the party’s direction.

I don’t blame her. Washington spending is out of control, and with the bills coming due on programs like the failed $862 billion “stimulus,” Congress is threatening tax hikes on small businesses and middle class families. Tax hikes are the last thing our economy needs right now.

Pamela Depaolo, owner of Depaolo’s Furniture on Center Street, said taxes keep creeping up, making it difficult to make a living as the owner of a small business. She’s concerned for employees, as well, who have to provide for their families.

Pamela is the third generation to own the store her grandparents founded in 1946 with Maytag appliances. The store sells American-made furniture, she said.

As I visited businesses, I found signs of growth in Southington. Coil Pro Machinery, Inc., an 18,000-square-foot factory that designs equipment to cut steel, is slowly expanding. They just bought new machinery.

And I found a brand new business on Center Street – Vanity Rites Tattoo and Body Art. The shop has been open for less than a month. Owner Steve Molnar said we need growth across a broad spectrum of businesses.

Steve is right. We must act quickly to encourage growth of small businesses, which have historically created 70% of new jobs. My economic plan is built on four key principles:

• Reduce tax rates across the board.
• Reduce regulations and mandates on businesses.
• Sound government finances. Don’t spend more than you can pay for.
• Sound money. Keep inflation low; keep the dollar strong.

This framework will give a boost to small businesses like those I visited in Southington, and it will jumpstart the job creation we so desperately need.

On my tour of Main Street Middletown, I visited Amato’s Toy and Hobby Store during its 70^th anniversary celebration. I was fortunate to be there when the owner had set up his antique model-train collection.

Diane Gervais, daughter of Amato’s 85-year-old owner, and I couldn’t help but smile as we watched the 1920s-era cars roll along thousands of feet of track.

Diane said her father started the business with the $100 he had in his pocket. The family-owned business caters to customer’s individual needs, she said. That’s what has kept them in business so long.

Mayor Sebastian Giuliano, who joined me on the tour, said people have been flocking to Main Street Middletown. New restaurants have opened up, making the city a destination offering a variety of dining options.

The mayor joined me on tour the same day he announced his endorsement of me for U.S. Senate, citing my commitment to fiscal responsibility and that I am a fresh face to politics.

“Budgets are to be followed. Linda and I agree on that,” the mayor said.

The citizens of Connecticut “get it,” I told Mayor Giuliano. They understand what Washington politicians don’t—we can’t spend our way out of this recession.

I popped into Central News, another Middletown landmark, where politicians can be found any given day having breakfast, coffee and discussing the latest news. Owner Bill Sbona told me he’s frustrated with government telling people how to live.

“All this is getting rammed down our throats,” he said of federal healthcare reform, among other bills passed by Congress.

At Middlesex Fruitery, founded in 1923, second-generation owners Mary and Ted Xenelis said they’ve seen a decline in business.

“If the economy would get going we’d be better,” Ted said. “People spend very little and bring in a list. They are hurting and it shows.”

John Charles Bagley, owner of Forrest City Wine and Spirits, a business he built with his family, said he has nearly tripled the size of his shop and sales have been steady. He told me he supports my candidacy because my husband and I worked our way back from bankruptcy.

“We know what it’s like to get knocked around a bit,” I said.

Claudia Syx, a receptionist at a property-management firm in Bethel, can point to a number of friends who have left Connecticut for the South, where she says jobs are more plentiful and the cost of living not as high.

“We’re going to end up pricing everybody out of this state and you can’t blame them,” Claudia said. “The whole state is so overwhelmingly expensive, unless you have two salaries.”

While I toured Bethel businesses, I stopped by an office building on Stony Hill Road that houses three companies owned by the Scalzo family: a real estate agency, law firm and the property-management outfit where Claudia works.

Home prices are too high and “affordable” rentals are not that affordable, Claudia said. “Connecticut is bad but the whole country needs a big shakeup.”

Claudia said she likes my business background, which she deems a necessary asset for a U.S. Senator these days. As a former CEO, I understand that to create jobs we must eliminate the bureaucratic red tape and government regulations that harm our businesses and ship our jobs overseas.

The Scalzo family said they were thankful that their three businesses are still viable, despite declining building and home sales. But the news was not as good when I visited English Drug, a family-owned pharmacy for 105 years, which is closing this month.

Business has been cut in half because insurance companies are requiring patients to fill their prescriptions at a major chain, said pharmacist Dan Boulanger. As a result, the drug store is in foreclosure.

“The bank is deciding when we close,” he told me. “I can’t keep up with my bills.” I empathized with Dan. My husband, Vince, and I suffered the pain of bankruptcy 30 years ago.

Next door at Jacqueline’s Restaurant & Bakery, owner Arelis Fernandez said she was hanging in there.“We are holding our own,” she said.

Arelis said she appreciated that I have experience building and running my own business. I added that I also have experience “going under,” referring to our bankruptcy, coming back, and raising a family through it all.

On the way out of Jacqueline’s, I shook hands with families and couples sitting at the bakery’s cafe tables. “Please don’t forget us when you get down there,” several customers said.

Litchfield business owners are grappling with the weak economy like other entrepreneurs across Connecticut.

On my Main Street Tour of Litchfield businesses, I stopped by Fahey Associates, Realtors, on the green and talked with Christine Gemelli, a residential and commercial lender for Webster Bank. These days, she’s processing many requests for refinancing, she said.

Christine told me that a 30-year fixed mortgage can be refinanced right now for 4.75 percent through Webster Bank. Sales of new homes are down, and refinancing is up because it gives homeowners more money in their pockets. And that money is used to help pay bills and survive, she said.

“We need a change,” Christine told me. “I hope you will be that.”

And I hope to do that, I told her.

These are tough times, and Washington only seems poised to make things worse. The career politicians have already raised taxes on the middle class, and they have attempted to force through an energy tax that would destroy on average 13,649 jobs in CT and raise electricity prices by $927.55 per household. Families shouldn’t be handing over more of their hard-earned money to Washington.

I also visited Keith Lanphear, known around town as Chef Red, who owns @The Corner, a restaurant on West Street. He’s made a living as a restaurateur for 25 years, the past two years running @The Corner.

“The economy is tough,” Keith said. “Prices go up. Electricity rates go up. Gas, propane, food. But I can’t go up too much on prices because people won’t go out to eat.”

At French Country Antiques, I ended up relating my personal bankruptcy story to John Maas, owner of the store. John told me that he and his wife were facing tough times in this economy. They have no equity and their credit-card company hiked the monthly interest rate from 12 percent to 30 percent.

As a small business that relies on credit, their limited credit line suddenly became very expensive, possibly prohibitive.

John is not alone in struggling with credit as he works to build his business during this recession. We need to work to make more credit available to small businesses so that they can grow and hire new workers. A credit crunch during the downturn will only make things worse.

To compete with a national office-supply store, Squash’s Ridgefield Office Supply has adopted the “Cheers” mentality. They know every customer by first name, said store manager Bill Bellion. Customer service is so personal, staff makes deliveries with the owner’s car.

That personal contact has kept them in business, he said, but it would be easier to thrive if there weren’t so much “red tape.”

I have heard that often in my tour of businesses around the state. To create new jobs, government needs to stay out of the way. As your U.S. Senator, I would work to cut burdensome regulations and mandates that harm our economy.

I visited Squash’s on my tour of Main Street in Ridgefield, where I found businesses toughing-out the recession.

At Neumann Real Estate, a second-generation family business, owner Russ Neumann said lenders are making it difficult for people to buy homes. Even with good credit, families are unable to attain their American dream.

“It’s a good time to buy and I just have to believe the economy will come back,” Russ told me.

I also dropped by the town fire department. The department is fully aware that what they do impacts business. The chief, Heather Burford, said they recently felt the pain of a water-main break in Westport, which affected the water flow into Ridgefield.

It was great to see a woman in charge of the Fire Department. Heather was the first female fire chief I’ve met. She said she had never had a U.S. Senate candidate visit the firehouse.

I have a soft spot for firefighters, I told her. My dad was a volunteer firefighter.

My last stop was Pelella’s Kitchen, a new restaurant opened six months ago by Mark and Gina Pelella.

“Everything is homemade,” boasted Mark, who became a restaurateur after losing his 20-year job in Manhattan as a corporate buyer for Caldor.  “I’m reinventing the wheel and it’s scary,” he said.

He related with my experience in losing it all and starting over. “Your past will help us when you go to Washington,” Mark said. “I watch what you did and you have a ‘lunch pail’ approach. They don’t get it—you do.”

Reagan got us back on track. We strengthened our national security while watching the Soviet Union collapse. And Reagan’s economic policies created the conditions for the greatest economic expansion in American history.

We now confront tough times again. Families are struggling, Washington has signaled it intends to raise taxes, and new threats have arisen to our security. I know we can turn things around and pull together as we did thirty years ago.

On my Main Street Tours of Oxford and Southbury, I found that small businesses are experiencing big problems as larger companies lure away customers and workers leave the state for jobs in the South.

But they are fighting back with what small businesses do best: customer service. They also are calling for tax cuts.

Frank DiaFerio, owner of the Oxford Pharmacy, an independent drug store, said he has lost business in the past three months to a major pharmacy chain over a deal requiring patients to use the chain store to fill prescriptions.

Frank said he’s been keeping his business alive the old-fashioned way: calling customers he hasn’t seen in a while – just to check up on them.

Chassis Dynamics’ owner Bob Cuneo said he recently lost five employees to North Carolina. Highly skilled machinists are in demand in the South, he said. As a result, he is moving part of his business there.

Bob designed and built The Night Train bobsled for the American team that won a gold medal in this year’s winter Olympics, but his talent is no match for the economy and Connecticut’s business environment.

“It’s become increasing difficult to do projects here,” Bob said. “They raise taxes on small businesses and there’s only so much we can do. They sure make it hard.”

We need to make the state more business-friendly and reduce the tax burden on our job creators so they can afford to hire new workers, I told him.

At Hine Bros. Inc. in Southbury, owner Ken Hine said he supports keeping current tax cuts in place. The business, which sells and services box trucks, has been in the family since 1947. Two brothers now operate sites in Southbury and Bridgeport with a total 50 employees.

Customer service is the key to success at Southbury Food Center, a family-owned supermarket since 1946. The market takes special care to accommodate customers who live in nearby Heritage Village, New England’s largest retirement community.

Being there reminded me of one of my first jobs – a cashier at an IGA supermarket in New Bern, N.C. I was 15 and I had to figure out the correct change to give customers. We didn’t have cash registers that calculate the change like we do today.

When customers request an item that Food Center doesn’t carry, the store special orders the product. “They are that important,” store manager Kit Rogers said of his customers.

At 4:30 in the afternoon on a scorching hot day, I walked into The Monkey Farm Café in Old Saybrook. The place was packed. Nearly everyone shook my hand and told me I had their vote. My Main Street Tour of Old Saybrook businesses was off to a great start.

When I walked over to the patio of Penny Lane Pub, people having lunch at the café tables stood and applauded. Turns out they were supporters from South Windsor.

I got the same reception at Saybrook Country Barn, where I bought a change purse from Donna Urso, buyer for the store. Urso knew who I was from my voice, which she’s heard in radio and TV ads. “I love you! I recognize that voice anywhere,” she said. “Being a business woman is important.”

We’ve got to get this train moving, I told her, as we talked about to the slow economy. To create new jobs, government needs to get out of the way.

I was impressed with Norm Cavallaro, who has owned North Cove Outfitters for 22 years. His business model is to hire workers who have product expertise: paddlers sell the kayaks, fishermen sell the poles, and astronomers sell the eyewear and telescopes.

Norm said he is very concerned about how the new healthcare bill is going to affect his business. He believes the mandates will cost him an extra $70,000 a year in medical benefits for his 50 employees. “Connecticut needs to be more business friendly,” Norm said. “They don’t have a clue.”

A few years ago during a cash-flow crunch, Norm and his business partner took turns working without pay and their employees took salary cuts. When business picked up, Norm and his partner reimbursed employees for the lost pay.

Career politicians who have never made a payroll don’t understand the consequences of their actions right now, I told Norm. If we reduce the tax burden on employers, we will have more people employed.

At Vanderbrooke Bakers & Caterers, where I couldn’t resist the oatmeal raisin cookies, owner Keith Grills asked me: “Do you want to wrestle for a vote?” I was laughing as I left Old Saybrook.

I toured downtown New London the first day of the Sailfest, a great event that showcases the city’s waterfront, history, business success and economic potential.

At Caruso’s Music, a family owned business for 81 years, I spoke with owner Richard Caruso about keeping the store open in difficult times.

“You are dealing with uncertainty and distrust of the government,” he said. “We are no longer buying product in a shot-gun mentality. We are more focused.”

I was impressed with Homeward Bound Treasures, which opened a year ago. The non-profit thrift store accepts donated furniture, home décor, small appliances and computers, in good condition, for sale to the general public. “We have a bit of everything,” said manager Linda Fargo.

Income is funneled into services for homeless people in New London. The store also reduces prices for people transitioning out of homelessness into their own apartment. Also, the store provides job opportunities for people who are homeless. The workers earn money and establish a job history, crucial steps toward becoming independent.

Homeward Bound is a commonsense, creative approach to providing a social service. It allows the community to find a new home for unwanted items, it offers low cost furnishings and helps people in need become contributing members of society. It’s a win-win-win!

I took in the magnificent Tall Ship that was docked and sampled the diverse selection of food on the pier: hot chili pepper salsa.

Many of the vendors recognized me and told me I have the business background to help get our economy back on track. They said they supported me for U.S. Senate because I advocate that government doesn’t create jobs, people do, and that government should help businesses, especially small ones, become successful.

I ended my tour cooling off with iced coffee at Passion Coffee House, a family-owned business that celebrated its first year anniversary last Friday. The family grows its own coffee beans on their farm in Colombia and ships the beans to the café for finishing. They also use coffee ice cubes in their iced drinks, which add to the rich coffee flavor.

While there, I talked to a man who lost his job and became a self-employed consultant for companies looking for green energy projects. He shares a desk, phone and computer with another entrepreneur at the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce office. He and his office partner have just created a program to help small business owners get off the ground in the recession.

For more on my visit to New London, click here.

On my tour of downtown Orange I met mostly with owners of family businesses, the type of venture I know first-hand. Hearing their stories of risk, financial strife and true grit reminded me of similar times in my life.

At Prime Bank, owner Jasper J. Jaser, known as Jay, said he founded the bank “to help people” like his dad. When Jay was young, his father had financial problems with his business and ended up in bankruptcy.

I can relate to Jay’s family struggle. My husband Vince and I filed for bankruptcy 30 years ago. We lost everything: our house, our cars. Our son was young, and I was pregnant with our daughter. Bankruptcy is a trying experience for families.

Jay believed that if his dad had the backing of a community bank, he might have avoided bankruptcy.

“I’m frustrated with the regulatory atmosphere in our state,” Jay told me. “It makes it hard for banks. We should be providing a service, not jumping through hoops.”

I have heard this over and over from other community bankers. “They want you to have more skin in the game, but then they tie your hands,” I said.

Community banks remind me of a time when banking was friendlier. When my son Shane was five, I brought him to a community bank to show him his savings account book. Shane asked to see his savings. The banker took us into the vault, counted out the bills and said to Shane: “This is your money.”

That kind of personal service and genuine concern are difficult to find in these days of financial uncertainty.

Nancy Nahas and her husband, Joe, owners of Race Brook Market, a local grocery store, know all about taking a chance during an economic downturn. Last fall, even as banks were not lending, they managed to buy the store. Nancy said the couple “stuck their necks out.” They renovated, opened and hoped for the best. “We’re making it,” she said.

For more on my tour of Orange, click here.