No longer content to sit on the sidelines and watch our the current majority of elected officials borrow and spend away not only our future but the futures of our children and grandchildren, also I will be bold and direct about where I stand so you can make an informed choice at the polls in November. If you have any questions feel free to contact me:
Taxes: No new taxes period. I would fight to eliminate the state income tax. States like Texas have attracted business and have a healthy economy with the lowest unemployment nationwide as a result, they have no state income tax. Currently in Connecticut we are collecting Taxes and fees from 347 sources, this is a highly inefficient way to run the states financial affairs and is not very cost effective. Unfunded mandates drive up property taxes in our towns. We need to severely reduce and or eliminate them all together.
State Spending: This chart says it all, increased state spending has out pacing median income of taxpayers by over 200% between 1972 and 2009. The first spending program I would eliminate would be the "Citizens Election Program" this is a horrendous waste of State Funds. While state workers are furloughed to save money, cuts to services and borrowing through bonding etc this program could be cut or ended... the maximum award is now 6 million dollars for the only Gubernatorial candidate seeking these funds.. Dan Malloy. Most people are not even aware of this wasteful program. Remember this next time you see a negative campaign ad or get a robo call. It my be funded by you without your consent. I am not seeking these funds.
Slush funds also known as "discretionary funds" although de-funded as of this year our current legislator turned a blind eye to them for some time. I would not sit silent with knowledge of such dealings.
Latest Budget Myths
Myth: We ended last year with a $450 million surplus.
Truth: We are still facing yearly deficits of more than $3 billion starting next year and beyond.
There is no surplus!
Myth: We are cutting borrowing in half.
Today, we are reading that the state is cutting borrowing in half as a result of last year’s “surplus”.
Truth: In a span of eight months, the Majority Democrats borrowed $1.9 billion for day-to-day expenses to “fix” the state budget deficit.
In her message about the “surplus”, the Comptroller also stated that we would still have to borrow $700 million more to keep this year’s budget balanced.
If you gain 30 pounds in a year, and you lose 15 pounds the next year, you haven’t cut your weight in half. But, that’s exactly what some people are saying about how much the state is borrowing.
Other facts about Connecticut's borrowing:
- Highest per capita debt in the country, at $4,859. The next closest state was Massachusetts, at $4,606.
- 12 cents of every tax dollar goes to pay for borrowing.
- Annual debt payments increased by 633% over the past 20 years.
- Fitch Rating Agency downgraded Connecticut at the end of May.
Public Debt and our unfunded state and town employee pensions: The majority party, Democrats have continued to raid the pension fund to "balance the budget" for decades now. This will be crushing when we have to pay the piper, if you are not losing sleep over this you should be. It is our children who will be expected to pay for this when all is said and done. Connecticut has the 4th highest Debt obligation per capita in the nation.
Education: "Race to the Top" This sounds great unless you look closely at the details of the program, like any other Federal Government program it has to be looked over very carefully. The funding, which is money allocated from the Recovery and Investment Act ends after two years and the states who signed up have to fund it themselves. It also encourages the best teachers to move to poor performing schools. So in essence redistributing success, possibly pulling down the successful schools while not addressing the real problems in under performing schools. I would recommend some close study before jumping in. I want to see how this will impact us as a state before commiting to the program.
Death Penalty and capitol crime: I believe that in the most heinous cases where there is no doubt of guilt, we must leave this option available to the Courts to protect our most vulnerable citizens from the worst preditors.
Education and trends: Grade school age student population is declining yet education costs continue to rise. I will vigorously study the cause and how to improve the situation without affecting the learning process for the students. The decline in young families over the last ten years is the cause. They are leaving the state to find jobs elsewhere. Connecticut's tax and fee structure is punitive states as far as operating a business is concerned. We currently rank at 38th among the 50 states by the Tax Foundation Organization. We must do much better if we want to attract and keep business and jobs within our state. For the long term vitality of our state we must change this trend.
"Between 2006/7 and 2007/8, Connecticut's public schools reported a drop in enrollment of approximately 4,000 students for grades 1 through 12. A review of preliminary public school reports by the Connecticut State Data Center's Manager Orlando Rodriguez indicates that the 2007/8 school year marks the beginning of a long-term decline in the state's school age population."
Parental authority: My stand on this is that parents are the ultimate authority when it comes to the education and welfare of their own minor children.
Places of worship: The separation of church and state is for the Constitutional protection of our right to worship and conduct our churches in our communities free from governmental interference. The first amendment verbatim:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Financial: Servicing our states debt is currently costing all of us $2,144,129 this year alone, as you can see from the budget numbers on page 46 of the current budget. Last year interest on the states debt service cost us nearly as much as the entire Department of Corrections. Those who run our state have made us second in the nation in per capita public debt second only to Massachusetts. Our state government must return to the simple principle of spending only what we can afford and borrowing only what we can repay. Understanding that tax money comes from the hard work of the people of Connecticut, my priority would be to focus on how to cut duplication in administration and investing in programs that would lead to sustainable self sufficiency for those in need. Recognizing the true need for existing social services I would not propose cutting needed help for those depending on these services now, focusing instead on how to cut the waste in the delivery and management of services also aggressively eliminating fraud and corruption.
Our Towns: Eliminating unfunded mandates from state legislature on our towns, they are driving up property taxes and the cost of doing business. The people living in our towns and cities can decide what services they deem fit. Looking at the state grant program would be high on my priority list since Bethany, Prospect and Cheshire get a very low return on the tax dollars we send to Hartford. According to the Federation of Connecticut Taxpayers Organizations we get 9 cents on every dollar in Bethany, Cheshire gets a return of 14 cents, Prospect 15 cents.
Your Property: Government respect for private property is a key issue, Kelo vs City of New London is a perfect example of government exceeding its Constitutionally limited authority. I will support much stronger legislation to stop the confiscation of private property for commercial use.
Health Insurance: The reason health insurance costs are so rapidly rising is largely due the the fact that a lengthy list of legislatively mandated coverage is added to your policy. This link lists them, you can see that you are paying for fertility treatments and breast implant removal if you need or want it or not. My stand, we should be able to buy the type of coverage we need and desire.
This is equivalent to requiring everyone choose buying a fully loaded Lexus or do without a car altogether.
Gun legislation: The second amendment is a right that shall not be infringed. Those who have no respect for the law will capitalize on those who do. As a gun permit holder I read the second amendment as it is written and fully support protecting it as intended.
Abortion: I am pro-life, I feel this is a deeply personal moral issue.
State Sovereignty: I strongly believe that we must get back to abiding by the law, article IX and X in particular. It is the job of the states elected officials to see to it that the law of our land is respected.
