Republicans Say Malloy's Budget Is Wrong For Connecticut

“The state is facing huge challenges.”

So said State Rep. Dan Carter (R-2) at a budget forum he and State Rep. John Shaban (R-135) hosted at the on Tuesday, March 29.

The two representatives agreed that does indeed do some good. But it does a lot of bad, also, and it simply does not address Connecticut’s long-term financial viability.

Malloy’s proposal, Shaban said, brings with it “the largest tax increase the state has ever seen.” But just what does that mean for Connecticut residents?

Shaban said a family making $100,000 — “a cop and a teacher” — would pay $1,090 more in taxes when income taxes, increased sales, alcohol and gasoline taxes, pet grooming taxes, haircut taxes and all other taxes are considered.

“It’s a shortsighted view for ways to increase revenue,” Shaban said, calling Malloy’s plan “taxes on top of taxes.”

Redding resident Andy Scott, who owns a real estate business in Thompson, said Connecticut’s in a bad situation to which there’s no quick fix. Scott said Malloy is proposing “regressive taxes” — those which directly affect the less fortunate, like gasoline taxes.

“It’s punitive, it’s brutal,” Scott said.

Shaban said the top 10 percent of earners pay almost 60 percent of the state’s income taxes, and they’re “not all rich hedge fund guys in Greenwich.” A lot of those earners are small business owners, he said.

The state also has $40 billion in unfunded long-term liabilities, Shaban said.

“Most long-term liabilities aren’t funded yet,” Shaban said. “Future generations — our kids and our grandkids — are going to be paying these debts.”

Shaban said the size of Connecticut’s government needs to be reduced. While Malloy’s budget proposal consolidates agencies and lays off some government workers, it's not nearly enough. Of the state’s 45,000 to 50,000 employees, Malloy’s proposal lays off 150, Shaban said.

“Consolidating agencies is a great idea,” Carter said, adding the governor needs to sell off state assets and reduce state employees, like a business would. “[His idea] looked great in the press, but it’s not going to do the job.”

But what ideas do the Republicans have?

Shaban said the Republicans propose consolidating 43 state agencies into 11, for starters. Carter said the Republicans goal is to propose a budget with little to no tax increases. Both Republicans also said it’s important to encourage businesses in Connecticut.

Patrick Mobilio, a business owner who lives in Redding, said when the going gets tough in his business, he’s forced to make cuts.

“Why can’t the government cut,” he said. “A lot of my business decisions are based on taxes, which is crazy. That’s no way to run a business.”

A woman in the audience asked the representatives, of the 52 Republicans in Hartford, how many of them are “RINOs” — Republicans in name only.

“Most people there, especially the freshmen, get it,” Carter said of controlling spending.

“Then I’m begging you to stick to your guns,” the woman said.

State Senator Toni Boucher (R-26) stopped by the Roadhouse after coming from another event, before she left to go to yet another event. Boucher said if Connecticut returned to its 2008 spending — similarly to what California has done — the state would save $2 billion.

So what next? The state has to do more than tighten its belt, Boucher said.

“Connecticut needs to go on a permanent diet in order to be ripe-sized and healthy,” she said.

After the forum, Scott and fellow small business owner, Redding resident Jim Butera, spoke with Patch about their feeling that Connecticut isn’t doing all that it could to offer incentives to small business owners.

“If we’re healthy, the state would be healthy,” Butera said.

Scott said he can’t move his business because his real estate holdings are in Connecticut. But Butera said he could move his business.

“I think about it often,” Butera said. “It’s tough to try and run a business here.”

But his family’s here and he’s laid down his roots here. Butera said the state needs to look at working with businesses, not seemingly working against them.

“If you’re in a hole, you have to stop digging,” he said.

Scott said it was refreshing that both Carter and Shaban, in their first terms, held the forum in the first place, something he called “a refreshing change in the town of Redding.”

Carter, who represents constituents in Redding, Danbury and Bethel, will be holding another forum on Thursday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m. at Bethel Middle School. Shaban, who represents constituents in Weston, Redding and Easton, will be holding another forum on Tuesday, April 5 at , starting at 7 p.m.