Majority still has no answers – just more taxes

Having failed miserably to run state government, despite a veto-proof supermajority in the Legislature, Democrats are now fanning out all over Connecticut trying to convince taxpayers and voters that they have a plan to solve our state’s fiscal crisis.

Astonishingly enough, the Democrats are trying to peddle locally what they could not get each other to buy into in Hartford for the last five months: They are hoping you forget their $3.3 billion tax increase – the largest in state history- that they proposed to paper over the budget deficit, and now insist that any program cuts are unconscionable.

You may have seen this road show before; in the wake of Governor Rell’s Feb. 4 budget presentation, the Democrats held a series of press events this spring to elicit public support for local pet programs. To what end? A Quinnipiac University poll released in April confirmed what most Connecticut residents already know – spending cuts, rather than tax increases, are what any family or government needs first to close any deficit.

I ask my constituents that when they arrive at your door this time – the local senior center, day care facility, library, tourist attraction or motor vehicle station that serves as the most convenient photo opportunity – please invite them in, offer them a beverage, and ask them a few questions.

Such as:

• After proposing raising taxes by $3.3 billion in the middle of the state’s worst economic recession and the worst budget deficit in history you then refused to even vote on the plan. Why?
• Why not vote on the Gov. Rell’s budget instead which included no tax increases and spending reductions?
• Why not vote on the alternative Republican plans (2) that also balance and preserve funding for towns and cities?

None of the budgets under consideration are perfect or, even, desirable. But they reflect the unprecedented and difficult times we find ourselves in. The Republicans provide level funding to towns and cities, which mitigates against local property tax increases. If we simply cut municipal aid, that is just passing the buck to our mayors and first selectman

We rolled back spending cuts to 2007 levels, insisted on savings from state employees and then found alternative revenue sources to make up for our shortfalls. Selling off a portion of future gambling revenue rather than closing a state park, for example was the better option.

Our Republican alternative provides flexibility to state agencies that know how better to run local office rather than those based in Hartford that cannot enforce greater efficiencies or better ways to do business. The Republican budget alternative does include more than $1 billion in additional budget cuts than any other plan put forth and they are not pretty. But our plan requires everyone to share in the pain equally and requires all of us to work together.

The Democrats proposed huge tax increases, invoked mystery spending cuts and then they walked away from the entire process as if they were in the minority. It leads to only one conclusion: tax increases now, tax increases tomorrow, tax increases forever.

Ask yourself one more question: Did Connecticut get into this fiscal mess because we did not tax enough, or because we spent too much?