Jacqueline Crespan is currently the Republican Leader on the Manchester Board of Directors and a former member of the Manchester Charter Revision Commission. A resident of Manchester for more than 23 years, she is a real estate investor and owns various apartment complexes in Manchester. She feels strongly about providing first time tenants the opportunity to build their credit and eventually buy their own homes.
“By the grace of God, I was able to leave Uganda at the age of five as an unaccompanied minor to join my mother in Switzerland who had left two and a half years earlier and could not return because of the war.” While in Switzerland, Crespan learned French and at the age of 11, as she was starting to feel safe in Switzerland, she was sent to the Convent of Our Lady, a former Catholic board school in England. While not knowing English, she quickly adapted. “At the school I learned that hard work pays off and that civic duty is something that one cannot run from,” explains Crespan. Her second boarding school, the Royal Russell School in Croydon Surrey, further engrained those values. “By the time I left boarding school, I was enriched by the experience. It taught me independence, resilience, the value of hard work and most importantly, civic duty.”
“I know what it is like to live without freedom. I love the United States, I love Connecticut, and I truly enjoy public service. I want to help make our state safer, stronger, and more affordable.”
Crespan
Platform Issues
The four platform issues Crespan has listed are on her campaign website.
- Making Connecticut more affordable : We must lower the tax burden on working families and seniors; work to lower healthcare and energy costs; and create a business environment that makes it easier to create jobs
- Making Connecticut’s communities safer : We must strengthen our criminal justice laws and keep repeat criminal offenders behind bars
- Education : Investment in our schools is more critical now than it ever has been. Decisions should be made locally and with the involvement of parents
- Personal Freedoms : We can never forget the freedom and liberties that make our country great. We must always fight for what we believe
- Mental health awareness : A healthy mind is just as important as having a healthy body. Hence, mental health is something that needs to be addressed often and brought attention to.
Interview with Jacqueline
Jacqueline is not your every day Republican. She speaks her mind and is not afraid to stand up for what she believes. We had the pleasure of interviewing her and getting her stances on many issues, and you can read the interview here.
Social Media
Board of Directors
Jacqueline Crespan serves on the Board of Directors for town of Manchester since 11/16/2021. Reviewing the minutes for the meetings since that time, we can learn some of her positions.
- 7/12/2022 : Crespan was critical of spending, and wanted to ensure all the spending was necessary and not wasteful.
- 5/11/2022 : Crespan gave a speech, summarizing it with “a commitment to creating a smaller government while still emphasizing public safety and fair education”. The entire transcript can be read here.
- 2/1/2022 : Crespan read a communication from a citizen to the board, “This concerned mother was telling us that parents should have the freedom to decide whether or not their children wear masks. We live in America.”
- 2/1/2022 : The meeting notes read “Crespan feels the appointments to boards and commissions have become highly politicized. Minority representation is important, but this board is not allowing minority representation to be heard. She really wants the residents to know this.”
- 1/4/2022 : Crespan wanted to ensure pedestrians were included in a transportation plan.
- 12/21/2021 : Crespan wanted a public hearing to discuss the Town Clerk’s salary, as it was an elected position.
Jacqueline’s Commitment to Freedom
Every year since 2010, the month of January has been known as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, as decreed by presidential proclamation. Human trafficking is a very real issue in the United States and in many other countries. Do you know any indicators of human trafficking? Below I have listed a few:
-Is the person living in unsuitable housing conditions?
-Does the person show signs of having been denied food, shelter water, official identification documents, sleep, or medical care?
-Is the person fearful, nervous, injured, avoiding eye contact, avoiding social interaction, avoiding law enforcement, or submissive?
-Does the person seem to be coached on what to say, in advance?
-Is the person often in the company of someone to whom he or she defers? Or someone who seems to be in control of the situation, such as where they go or who they talk to?
It is crucial to pay attention to these indicators, as they could save someone’s life!
If you are a victim of human trafficking or know someone who may be a victim, you can…
• Call 911
• Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888
• Text HELP to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 233722
• Live chat with someone any time, in English and 200 more languages, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at humantraffickinghotline.org.