It’s time that Connecticut government lives within its means.

How do we accomplish that? Reduce spending.

Residents throughout the state have called for that course of action since the news media stepped up its coverage of Connecticut’s budget problems—a deficit of at least $8 billion over the next two years. Throughout the last year my Capitol colleagues and I forecasted an angry economic climate long before journalists grabbed the story, though no one could have predicted just how bad the situation would end up.

So where do we stand today? I’m proud to say that Connecticut House Republicans have authored a two-year budget proposal for the state that wouldn’t increase your taxes. I won’t lie—building this budget required tough decision making.

For one, we’ve proposed folding 23 state agencies into six. We’d also continue the hard hiring freeze implemented by the governor, and shift at least 50 percent of state social services to community providers.

Why are we proposing this? The alternative would prove too costly to Connecticut residents and businesses.

The legislature’s majority party proposed a budget calling for an across the board tax hike, including elimination of the property tax credit used by so many middle class families. Even worse, it would take away many tax exemptions businesses enjoy while increasing corporate taxes by 30 percent. I disagree with most of these ideas, particularly when our legislature has yet to exhaust its search for spending reductions.

Consider this: The Secretary of the State’s office just announced that 3,500 businesses in the state closed from January to March—the highest first quarter numbers since the state began tracking closures.

Connecticut, already the highest taxed state per capita, ranks last in employment growth since 1991.

Is now a good time to increase taxes on business, or anyone for that matter?

Not without first looking for reductions.

Between 1990 and 2005, the amount of money government took from taxpayers more than doubled from $6 billion to $14 billion.

There’s got to be a better way to conduct business, and I believe our “no tax increase” plan is, at the very least, a starting point.

What does our budget proposal do? For starters, it would restore important tax credits. What’s more, it would maintain state aid as well as school funding to towns and cities at existing levels.

We’ve proposed an early retirement incentive plan for state employees, and we’d also increase their medical co-payments.

And our plan wouldn’t shift the burden of funding the resident trooper program on to cash-strapped municipalities, nor would it close prisons and higher education institutions. No indiscriminate layoffs, either.

Best of all, our proposal is truly bipartisan. It includes many of the suggestions offered by Democrats as well as those from the governor.

Budget negotiations among legislative leaders are underway, and I’d like you to know that I’m committed to working toward a solution to the state’s fiscal problems—party affiliation aside.

We don’t have a choice.

IN THE DISTRICT
I participated in a great event at Somers Elementary School recently—the Social Skills Convention. Adults of varied backgrounds led sessions covering their areas of expertise. My subject was leadership, and I taught the children a bit about how to greet and treat others. Other topics included negotiation, planning and speaking confidently.

I enjoyed participating in Opening Day for Little League in Stafford, and I’ll be at Opening Day for the girls’ softball league there.

And I was proud to attend a ceremony at the Thomas J. Dodd Center at the University of Connecticut, where the papers of former Lt. Gov. Atillio “Pop” Frassinelli were donated. They will surely benefit generations to come.

KEEP IN TOUCH
I really look forward to hearing from people in the towns I represent, and I think part of my job is keeping you informed of what I am doing in Hartford. Feel free to contact me with your questions, ideas or comments—that will help me serve you better. Sign up for my email updates on the home page.