Sen. Kane Rips Malloy’s Oxford Airport Jobs Plan [Woodbury-Middlebury Patch]

Article as it appeared in the Woodbury-Middlebury Patch on July 25, 2011

State Sen. Rob Kane, R-Watertown, today criticized Gov. Dannel Malloy for his stance on the Waterbury-Oxford Airport economic development initiative. Malloy on Monday said he would help create jobs around the area of the airport along with other Democratic state lawmakers.

In a prepared statement, Kane, who was one of the driving forces behind an airport economic development bill that Malloy vetoed, said the following:

“So, let me get this straight: When this bill was a Republican idea that passed nearly unanimously in the legislature, it was bad, and now that it is the governor’s idea, it’s good? Well, it’s good to see the governor has finally come around.

“It has become clear that Gov. Malloy is flying by the seat of his pants when it comes to economic development policy. Gov. Malloy first called the Oxford Airport bill’s almost unanimous passage ‘premature,’ saying he wanted to wait until the recently created Connecticut Airport Authority came up with a more detailed plan. Now, the governor says Democrat leaders will work to ‘develop an appropriate set of economic development tools’ for the airport’s growth.

“I continue to ask the governor, what are you waiting for? Greater Waterbury is at 11.2 percent unemployment. Is Connecticut ‘open for business’ – as you are fond of saying – or isn’t it? The governor’s lack of vision has caused a pro-jobs bill to crash and burn.”