How ironic that today is Tax Freedom Day® in Connecticut. Tax Freedom Day measures how long Americans work to earn enough money to pay this year's tax obligations at the federal, state and local levels. Connecticut is the last state to reach Tax Freedom Day this year!
The real irony is the Connecticut State Senate is scheduled to vote today on the largest tax increase in state history. Tax Freedom Day for Connecticut residents next year will come even later in the calendar after this massive tax increase is considered.
Governor Malloy and the Democratic majority leadership in the Connecticut General Assembly are completely disconnected from the reality of our struggling residents and businesses. Everyone outside of government cut spending in their budgets to match their decreased earnings. Connecticut Democrats refuse to make the difficult decisions to reform our state government and cut spending.
Who would’ve guessed Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey would ever be more competitive than Connecticut? I hope Nutmeggers will wake up and demand change!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The No Tax Increase Budget Alternative
I joined Republican legislators this afternoon at the State Capitol to introduce a no-tax-increase budget alternative. Governor Malloy’s budget proposal includes a $1.9 billion tax increase – the largest tax increase ever proposed in Connecticut.
The Republican Alternative Budget significantly reduces the size and cost of government while protecting the social safety net and preserving state aid to municipalities. The proposal reduces the state government workforce by five percent – focusing on management positions for elimination.
Republicans are providing the tough medicine Connecticut needs to emerge from this fiscal crisis. State government is broke because our government leaders have a spending addiction. The Republican plan significantly reduces government spending by eliminating government waste and redundancy. We balance the budget by not raising taxes. This is a common sense solution which paves the way for economic recovery and will help make living and working in Connecticut affordable again.
Details of the Republican Alternative Budget available here
The Republican Alternative Budget significantly reduces the size and cost of government while protecting the social safety net and preserving state aid to municipalities. The proposal reduces the state government workforce by five percent – focusing on management positions for elimination.
Republicans are providing the tough medicine Connecticut needs to emerge from this fiscal crisis. State government is broke because our government leaders have a spending addiction. The Republican plan significantly reduces government spending by eliminating government waste and redundancy. We balance the budget by not raising taxes. This is a common sense solution which paves the way for economic recovery and will help make living and working in Connecticut affordable again.
Details of the Republican Alternative Budget available here
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Governor Malloy's Train Wreck?
Governor Malloy’s assistant, Roy Occhiogrosso, released an alternative budget proposal from the Governor’s office yesterday. The Associated Press reported “Connecticut cities and towns would lose one-third of their state aid under a contingency plan Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has requested in case there is no agreement on $1 billion in union savings and concessions to help balance his budget.”
This proposal represents a 36% cut in municipal aid from the state. Danbury would lose $10.4 million in the alternative budget proposal.
This proposal is a train wreck. All Governor Malloy is doing is proposing local municipalities lay-off teachers, police and firefighters. This is pitting state government employee unions against local government employee unions.
Governor Malloy is playing politics at its worst – threatening local governments that currently run far more efficiently than Connecticut’s state government – when he has proposed no significant state government efficiency reforms or reorganization.
State government employees have a zero unemployment rate. Governor Malloy is protecting state employees at all costs while local governments struggle to balance their budgets.
Governor Malloy’s alternative budget proposal is simply passing state government’s bloated inefficiency on to local property tax payers.
I look forward to presenting the Republican’s alternative budget proposal in the next several days that recognizes the urgency of Connecticut state government reorganization.
This proposal represents a 36% cut in municipal aid from the state. Danbury would lose $10.4 million in the alternative budget proposal.
This proposal is a train wreck. All Governor Malloy is doing is proposing local municipalities lay-off teachers, police and firefighters. This is pitting state government employee unions against local government employee unions.
Governor Malloy is playing politics at its worst – threatening local governments that currently run far more efficiently than Connecticut’s state government – when he has proposed no significant state government efficiency reforms or reorganization.
State government employees have a zero unemployment rate. Governor Malloy is protecting state employees at all costs while local governments struggle to balance their budgets.
Governor Malloy’s alternative budget proposal is simply passing state government’s bloated inefficiency on to local property tax payers.
I look forward to presenting the Republican’s alternative budget proposal in the next several days that recognizes the urgency of Connecticut state government reorganization.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Happy Tax-Freedom Day! EXCEPT Connecticut
Today, April 12 is the nation's Tax Freedom Day®! Tax Freedom Day measures how long Americans work to earn enough money to pay this year's tax obligations at the federal, state and local levels. This year it was 102 days.
Unfortunately, in Connecticut, Tax Freedom Day® does not arrive until May 2 - the latest in the United States of America. Yes, Connecticut is the most expensive place to live if you pay taxes.
The amazing part about Connecticut being number one Tax Freedom Day® is that "prize" is BEFORE we calculate Governor Malloy's proposed tax increases of $1,500,000,000. I guess next year we will wait until July for Tax Freedom Day® next year.....
Unfortunately, in Connecticut, Tax Freedom Day® does not arrive until May 2 - the latest in the United States of America. Yes, Connecticut is the most expensive place to live if you pay taxes.
The amazing part about Connecticut being number one Tax Freedom Day® is that "prize" is BEFORE we calculate Governor Malloy's proposed tax increases of $1,500,000,000. I guess next year we will wait until July for Tax Freedom Day® next year.....
Friday, February 18, 2011
Recycling a Bad Idea - Border Tolls
The Connecticut General Assembly's Transportation Committee conducted a public hearing today to recycle a bad idea - border tolls. This is the plan to place tolls only at the state's borders to capture money from the transient drivers that get to drive on Connecticut's roads for free. WRONG!
Here's the real story.
Border tolls create an unfair tax for the residents and businesses close to the tolls. In the greater Danbury area we have over 18,000 residents who commute to New York for work. Many more commuters go to Stamford and Greenwich by I-84 and I-684. These drivers will pay an unfair regional tax for the right to use the highways while residents in central Connecticut will not pay.
The proponents have an argument for the unfair tax - they propose a deep discount based on your home zip code! Unfortunately, a similar discount is being contested in the Rhode Island courts. A regional tax like border tolls is simply unfair.
Another major concern of mine is the dramatic impact on local roads from traffic diverting from the tolls at the border. In Danbury, Route 6 and Mill Plain Road run parallel to I-84 across the border. A resident driving to Brewster every day can easily find alternate routes to avoid paying the unfair regional tax imposed by the implementation of border tolls. Neighborhoods like Aunt Hack, King Street and Ridgebury would all be impacted by toll diversion traffic. New Fairfield and Sherman would experience similar impacts from Route 22 traffic.
Greater Danbury is the largest retail area in the state and generates nearly fifteen percent of all sales taxes. The Danbury Fair Mall is the largest enclosed mall in New England and the Federal Road area hosts dozens of big-box retailers and car dealers. A large part of the retail customer base comes from New York. Will tolls make a difference to shoppers? Think how often people drive miles to save a few dollars but maybe not if they reject paying tolls.
Connecticut must apply to the federal government to implement tolls on our highways. The legislature may authorize tolls but they don't have the final say. The governor of Pennsylvania proposed tolls in his budget only to have the federal government reject the application, creating a huge hole in the state budget.
Finally, the state of Connecticut recieves hundreds of millions of dollars in federal highway transportation dollars for maintenance of our interstate highways. Should the federal government approve new tolls here they will stop sending this money to Connecticut. That means we have to pay for the cost of the new toll equipment, the staff to run the system AND replenish the hundreds of millions of federal dollars before we even break even. The numbers don't add up.
Implementing tolls in Connecticut is a bad idea but border tolls is absolutely the worst idea.
Here's the real story.
Border tolls create an unfair tax for the residents and businesses close to the tolls. In the greater Danbury area we have over 18,000 residents who commute to New York for work. Many more commuters go to Stamford and Greenwich by I-84 and I-684. These drivers will pay an unfair regional tax for the right to use the highways while residents in central Connecticut will not pay.
The proponents have an argument for the unfair tax - they propose a deep discount based on your home zip code! Unfortunately, a similar discount is being contested in the Rhode Island courts. A regional tax like border tolls is simply unfair.
Another major concern of mine is the dramatic impact on local roads from traffic diverting from the tolls at the border. In Danbury, Route 6 and Mill Plain Road run parallel to I-84 across the border. A resident driving to Brewster every day can easily find alternate routes to avoid paying the unfair regional tax imposed by the implementation of border tolls. Neighborhoods like Aunt Hack, King Street and Ridgebury would all be impacted by toll diversion traffic. New Fairfield and Sherman would experience similar impacts from Route 22 traffic.
Greater Danbury is the largest retail area in the state and generates nearly fifteen percent of all sales taxes. The Danbury Fair Mall is the largest enclosed mall in New England and the Federal Road area hosts dozens of big-box retailers and car dealers. A large part of the retail customer base comes from New York. Will tolls make a difference to shoppers? Think how often people drive miles to save a few dollars but maybe not if they reject paying tolls.
Connecticut must apply to the federal government to implement tolls on our highways. The legislature may authorize tolls but they don't have the final say. The governor of Pennsylvania proposed tolls in his budget only to have the federal government reject the application, creating a huge hole in the state budget.
Finally, the state of Connecticut recieves hundreds of millions of dollars in federal highway transportation dollars for maintenance of our interstate highways. Should the federal government approve new tolls here they will stop sending this money to Connecticut. That means we have to pay for the cost of the new toll equipment, the staff to run the system AND replenish the hundreds of millions of federal dollars before we even break even. The numbers don't add up.
Implementing tolls in Connecticut is a bad idea but border tolls is absolutely the worst idea.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Governor’s Budget Misfire
The Connecticut legislature just heard Governor Malloy’s budget address where once again he stated, “we are open for business.” The problem with that statement is state government is the only entity surviving the governor’s budget while Connecticut residents and businesses get clobbered by a record tax increase.
“Job creation drives this budget,” said Malloy but the problem is the rhetoric does not match the reality. Politicians in Connecticut must pull their heads out of the sand and recognize that our state is now the least-friendly place to conduct business. Governor Malloy’s budget is extending the deep freeze on Connecticut’s economy.
I am busy studying the details of the budget document but here are some highlights:
Malloy proposes spending MORE next year than this year
Malloy is increasing taxes while neighboring states are holding the line or reducing taxes
The Malloy budget does not reflect a concerted effort to reduce the size and cost of state government
The budget assumes $2 billion in concessions from state employees that must be NEGOTIATED with state employees
Where is the shared sacrifice, Governor Malloy? State government in Connecticut is chugging along while our residents and businesses are struggling.
Governor Malloy misfired with his first budget. Connecticut deserves a responsible budget. This budget proposal is a disaster for Connecticut’s taxpayers and businesses.
“Job creation drives this budget,” said Malloy but the problem is the rhetoric does not match the reality. Politicians in Connecticut must pull their heads out of the sand and recognize that our state is now the least-friendly place to conduct business. Governor Malloy’s budget is extending the deep freeze on Connecticut’s economy.
I am busy studying the details of the budget document but here are some highlights:
Malloy proposes spending MORE next year than this year
Malloy is increasing taxes while neighboring states are holding the line or reducing taxes
The Malloy budget does not reflect a concerted effort to reduce the size and cost of state government
The budget assumes $2 billion in concessions from state employees that must be NEGOTIATED with state employees
Where is the shared sacrifice, Governor Malloy? State government in Connecticut is chugging along while our residents and businesses are struggling.
Governor Malloy misfired with his first budget. Connecticut deserves a responsible budget. This budget proposal is a disaster for Connecticut’s taxpayers and businesses.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
