Focus

SOLUTIONS:

• Sustainable Economics
  Pension, Tax & Spending Reform:
  The 2017 and 2018 bipartisan budget agreements enacted by the General Assembly were significant milestones in our fight for a more sustainable model of government. The agreement included a spending cap, bonding cap, and volatility cap, which will work together to prevent the State from making promises we cannot keep, spending more than we can afford, and falling deeper into debt. These are all steps in the right direction, but the true test will be in enforcing these caps and keeping our promise to the people of Connecticut that the General Assembly will be more responsible with their tax dollars.As our tax base is shrinking, it was also important to ensure that taxes did not significantly increase or expand. Luckily, my colleagues and I were able to defeat the proposal to bring tolls into our state, which would have increased costs not only on families and individuals, but also on businesses that are already struggling in Connecticut’s unfriendly business environment. Connecticut does not have a revenue problem, we have a spending addiction. We cannot continue to increase taxes to fund this addiction, and instead need to focus on making cuts where we can, and being more efficient with our spending.Connecticut has some of the highest unfunded liabilities in the Nation in the State Employees Retirement System (SERS), and it is one of the largest barriers to responsible change. Connecticut State employees are the highest paid state employees in the country, and we are one of only two states that determine employee benefits by collective bargaining rather than by statute. Needless to say, this results in a bloated and unfair pension system where Public Sector Unions have used their power to bleed the state dry. In order to protect our state from crippling debt, we need to dedicate appropriate funds to SERS, and restructure the way we compensate our retirees so that Connecticut residents have more say in how their money is used.

• Pathway to Progress
  A Visionary Roadmap for a Better CT http://www.cthousegop.com/prioritize-progress/
  Prioritize Progress is the Republican plan to revitalize our State’s infrastructure over the next 30 years and is a responsible and well thought out solution to the dismal condition of our roads, rails, and the rest of our transportation ecosystem. Our transportation system has suffered from neglect for too long, and it is time to make the upgrade of our infrastructure a priority so that our state can make progress.Prioritize Progress would require that funds designated to the Special Transportation Fund are not siphoned off for other projects and programs as they have been in the past in order to provide a predictable and stable funding mechanism. Transportation development and maintenance is a long term process and if there is not reliable funding those projects will be stalled, sometimes indefinitely. The funding mechanism proposed by Prioritize Progress would ensure $1 Billion reserved for transportation funding for each of the next 30 years. The plan would also reinstitute the Transportation Strategy Board to oversee project development and implementation, with the duty of prioritizing the most necessary projects.Other benefits of Prioritize Progress include no tolls or other new taxes, a reduction in state bonding to reduce our debt, and a flexible model to set project priorities.

• Fiscal Competitiveness
  Marketplace & competition awareness Connecticut has been ranked 49th (down from 34th just 5 years ago) in economic performance since the Great Recession, and 46th in economic outlook. Our tax burden and unfriendly business environment are making it impossible for CT to compete with states in our region, which have narrowed the quality-of-life gap in recent years, as well as states outside of New York and New England.If Connecticut cannot compete with other states, businesses won’t choose to come here or stay here, which means jobs will disappear. Jobs reports already show that better-paying jobs in manufacturing, construction, and information technology are leaving while low-paying jobs in healthcare and food service replace them.The General Assembly needs to adopt policies that incentivize next-generation job creation in sectors like advanced manufacturing, biosciences and technology. Becoming a leader in emerging markets is a great way to be competitive in today’s ever-advancing world.

Empower businesses and job seekers by creating an ecosystem of long-term growth and success

Economic uncertainty, high governmental costs and restrictive regulatory bureaucracy are tremendous barriers to the creation of private sector jobs. Unfortunately, these factors are what employers and small businesses in our state struggle with every day.

We can maintain a balance between fiscal accountability and social responsibility. Government has a moral responsibility to ensure that the most vulnerable and at-risk in our communities are protected and guided to self-empowerment.

Read more about the impact of Tony’s legislative leadership »