Senator Kane Endorses GOP No Tax Increase State Budget Proposal

Advocates Cutting State Spending & Protecting Businesses, Families From Massive Tax Increase

Senator Rob Kane (R-32) is calling for the General Assembly to cut government spending instead of passing a state budget that would impose massive tax increases on Connecticut’s families and businesses.

“Burdening the state with a $3.3 billion tax increase as the Democrats would have us do would have the catastrophic effect of driving businesses out of Connecticut, and causing terrible harm to the state’s chances for economic recovery. Taxpayers, especially those who have already lost their jobs, or fear they might, cannot afford to continue supporting a state government bureaucracy that has grown much too large. That is why Republican legislative leaders are offering a sensible, workable, budget proposal that reinvents state government without raising taxes,” said Senator Kane, a member of the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee.

Senator Kane joined other Republican legislators last week in offering an alternative balanced budget plan that would eliminate the massive tax increases proposed by the Democrats, preserve funding for vital programs and services at 2007 levels, and greatly reduces government costs through cuts, agency mergers, retirements and salary and benefit concessions. The Republicans’ proposal calls for preserving municipal aid, including current Education Cost Sharing (ECS) funding levels. Furthermore, it calls for preserving the $500 property tax credit that would be eliminated under the Democrats’ proposal.

“I was shocked when the Democrats unveiled their proposal to impose the largest single tax increase in state history. Connecticut residents deserve much better than that from their legislators, and our Republican alternative budget proposal shows how state government can continue to provide necessary services at a cost they can afford. It is time for all of us, Republicans and Democrats, to work together to pass a sensible, responsible state budget,” said Senator Kane.

Highlights of the Republican alternative budget proposal include:

* Early retirement to save more than $285 million;
* State worker concessions for salary, health care and pension benefits that save $662 million;
* Folding 16 agencies into three and implementing a hiring freeze to reduce overhead costs;
* Overhauling the higher education bureaucracy that duplicates services and drives up tuition for families struggling to pay for college;
* Preserving school and municipal aid;
* Using the Rainy Day Fund for what it was intended – fiscal distress;
* Imposing $900 million in hard cuts;
* Restoring $25 million in municipal aid cut by Democrats and the $500 property tax credit
* Engaging private companies that can perform duties such as state park maintenance.