Politics & Government

Senate Republicans Reveal Budget Proposal With No Tax Increase

Senate Republicans revealed a no-tax increase budget proposal Tuesday.

Governor Dannel Malloy's proposal to raise taxes by $1.5 billion has been met with skepticism by many on the other side of the aisle from the Democrat, and now Republicans in the state legislature have drafted a proposed budget proposal they hope will resonate with voters and legislators in coming weeks.

On Tuesday, state House Republican Leader Lawrence F. Cafero of Norwalk, along with other  Republicans in the Legislature, released what the party described as a no-tax-increase, balanced budget proposal for 2012-13. In response, an adviser to Gov. Malloy said the proposal wouldn't perform as promised.

“Political pundits, blogosphere dwellers and skeptics have maintained for months that it would be impossible to produce a balanced, honest budget that fills the massive state deficit without huge tax increases," Cafero said in a videotaped statement. "Today, Republican lawmakers proved them wrong.”

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“Lawmakers now have a clear choice. And taxpayers have an opportunity to weigh in with their elected officials and tell them which road to travel down: one littered with ever increasing taxes to support higher spending, or an austere path toward a leaner government that provides goods and services that we can actually afford.”

State Rep. Gail Lavielle, a Wilton Republican whose 143rd House district covers the eastern edge of Norwalk, said in a written statement that the GOP proposal is "less about sacrifice than about creating for people, businesses, and towns an economic climate in which effort pays off and success and improvement are possible."

Find out what's happening in Norwalkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

She continued, “Instead of spending more money on government and taxing more to cover it, this budget restructures state government for the long term, preserves essential services for those who need them most, protects families and small business owners from ever increasing taxes, and leaves funding for schools and towns intact."

In their announcement of the proposal, Republicans released these bullet points describing what their proposed budget includes:

  • "No new taxes on any business, individual, employer, service or good.
  • "More than $1.5 billion in spending cuts from Gov. Malloy’s plan.
  • "Preservation of municipal aid at current levels for all towns and cities.
  • "Enhanced Medicaid fraud detection to save an estimated $224 million.
  • "More than $46 million in savings through agency consolidations.
  • "Streamlining government through attrition and reductions to the 54,000 member state workforce.
  • "No borrowing for state operating expenses.
  • "Full restoration of the $500 property tax credit cut by Gov. Malloy.
  • "The pre-payment of $200 million in the state’s highest cost debt, allowing greater flexibility in budgeting throughout state agencies.
  • "Restoration of the sales tax free week to help Connecticut consumers support household budgets.
  • "Elimination of longevity payments for state employees."

"Anyone who has to get up and drive to work would pay more under the Democratic budget,’’ said Cafero, whose 142nd House district covers the western and northern parts of Norwalk. “The Democratic sales tax hike will be felt most by middle income families and businesses who pay more than 50 percent of all sales taxes in Connecticut.’’

The governor's office sent out a news release Monday in which senior adviser Roy Occhiogrosso said the GOP plan relied on gimmicks, wasn't specific enough and wouldn't work.

"This budget is not balanced, it relies on fiscal gimmicks, hurts job growth, cuts important funding in education, shreds the safety net, and fundamentally undermines clean elections in our state," Occhiogrosso said in the statement.

"The Republicans’ budget assumes more than $500 million in unidentified savings across state government," he continued. "The Republicans have had more than two months since the Governor proposed his budget to identify specific savings, but instead have chosen to assign an arbitrary dollar figure to a line-item and call it a cut. They also include a proposal to ‘restructure’ $200 million in debt in FY 2012, which is one-time budget gimmick and a ‘savings’ in name only." 

 Occhiogrosso also said the Republicans were wrong to propose cutting $14.5 million in marketing for the state Department of Economic Community Development to help attract new employers to the state. The plan, he said, "includes a significant reduction for job training and youth employment programs, both of which stand in direct opposition to the Governor's focus on creating new jobs."

 "This budget slashes nearly $900 million in Medicaid and shreds the safety net, which the Governor is committed to protecting," Occhiogrosso said. "They've proposed a budget they know the Governor won't sign. As Governor Malloy has said many times, it’s time for a new, better way forward.  The Republican budget, unfortunately, would take the state down a well-worn, failed path. "


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