Ryan Witkos Runs Again
After 17 Vote Loss

By Ed Oliver
October 2002 Print Edition

Ryan Witkos (R-Hardwick) ran in a special election last year to replace David Tuttle (R-Barre) and he beat two Republican challengers in the primary. But he lost by 17 votes in a recount in the general election to Anne Gobi (D-Spencer). Thirty-two years old, Witkos feels he is the most qualified candidate to serve the 5th Worcester District because of his public service record. At age 22, he was the youngest ever to assume the office of selectman in Hardwick, serving on that board for five years, two of them as chairman.

Ryan Witkos (R-Hardwick) is seeking to Represent the 5th Worcester District in Central Mass. east of the Quabbin Reservoir.

He also was town moderator, on the board of directors of the town rescue squad, and a volunteer firefighter and volunteer EMT. He has ten years of professional customer service experience in the finance and insurance industry.

Witkos is a fervent believer that those in public safety should have all the tools and resources they need to do their job effectively. On the subject of education, he believes it is every citizen's duty and obligation to support children in public schools, regardless whether they have children in school or not.

MassNews asked Witkos if more money should be thrown at education despite its poor record.

He responded he does not think the solution to every problem is to throw money at it, because sometimes results are worse in areas where more money per pupil is spent. However, kids who go to school hungry or have problems at home are not in the state of mind to be educated, so that is where some of our efforts need to be focused.

He knows from experience how hard it can be in some homes, he says. He was seven- years-old when his father abandoned the family, he said, leaving his mother to raise four boys.

Although Witkos said the state should provide social services, "Government shouldn't be the answer to everything. If there is a problem, you shouldn't be running to government for help unless you first try to solve it yourself."

Ryan believes his experience as selectman and town moderator make him the most qualified candidate.

He opposes bi-lingual education, favoring English immersion. On the campaign trail, a lot of people ask Witkos where he stands on gun rights and ownership of handguns. His response is that he is a big supporter of gun ownership for personal protection and forhunting. He was the GOPAC endorsed candidate in last year's election and had a "good" rating with the Gun Owners Action League, a rating that he still retains. "I'm a big supporter of the rights of hunters and sportsmen. Hunters provide a lot of revenue for wildlife protection and habitat protection. That's why I'm involved with Ducks Unlimited." "There are actually, I think, too many laws on the books in relation to gun ownership. I think there should definitely be an appeal process in place where if the police chief denies someone the right to carry, they have an appeal. It's like anything else-you're innocent until proven guilty. I think the onus is on the police chief to show there is a danger."

Witkos said budgetary spending is out of control and he supports rolling back taxes. He said he signed the CLT pledge not to raise taxes. However, he does not think Libertarian Carla Howell's ballot initiative to eliminate the income tax is fiscally prudent.

He believes that the people should be able to vote on the Marriage Amendment. He believes that marriage should exclusively be between a man and a woman.

On abortion, Witkos is pro-life. He opposes partial-birth abortion and supports laws requiring parental consent for minors. He believes that people getting abortions should be fully informed about the risks. He would allow abortion for rape, incest or danger to the mother's life. He supports buffer zones at abortion clinics.

Witkos said he is going to be getting an endorsement soon from the National Federation of Independent Businesses. He said he would like to institute a program where new businesses would not get hit with every single tax right off the bat, but would be allowed to bloom and grow before they get the full tax package.

On the Chapter 40b "anti-snob" law that forces cities and towns to be at the mercy of real estate developers, Witkos said, "We have zoning bylaws in place that suit what we feel are best for our communities. To have the Commonwealth say 'No, you haven't met this quota or this goal, we're going to let someone come in and skirt all the rules and regulations you've provided,' that's wrong. I'll do whatever I can to fight that.

"I'm a big believer in local control. I don't want to be going to Beacon Hill to be micromanaging the municipalities. It's wrong and we've got to stop it."

Ryan Witkos lived in Hardwick his entire life. He went to school at Quabbin Regional and Becker College in Worcester for paralegal studies. He's been married for eight years and has two boys.

His district covers part of Spencer and several rural communities on the east side of the Quabbin Reservoir.