Senators Frantz and McKinney to Host Budget Forum in Greenwich

McKinney Budget Tour Continues March 27th In Greenwich
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Greenwich Senior Center, 299 Greenwich Ave., Greenwich, CT

On Wednesday, March 27th, Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, Senator L. Scott Frantz, Representative Fred Camillo and Representative Steven G. Walko will hold a state budget forum at the Greenwich Senior Center in Greenwich.

The meeting, which is open to the public, will run from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The Wednesday forum in Greenwich is the fifth stop on Senator McKinney’s nine-town “Fiscal Responsibility Tour” to discuss Governor Dannel P. Malloy’s budget proposal and to gather public input for the coming legislative debate.

“I want public input to be at the center of the decisions this legislature makes about our state finances. That’s why I’m hosting this tour,” Sen. McKinney said. “The governor’s budget is the most dishonest I’ve seen in my 15 years in the legislature. There are a number of areas where his rhetoric simply doesn’t match the reality of his proposal. For example, he claims $1.8 billion in cuts, but his budget actually spends $1.8 billion more over the next two years. And he promised no new taxes, but instead extended several taxes that were set to expire. People deserve to know the truth, so we will spend some time on this tour separating fact from fiction.”

The forum will include a brief presentation of the governor’s budget proposal and an update on the budget process in the General Assembly, followed by an extensive question and answer period for the general public.

“Two years ago, Governor Malloy passed a budget that included the largest tax increase in state history,” said Senator Frantz. “Since then, our economic recovery has moved at a remarkably slower pace than the national economy, and businesses and individuals have had to deal with diverse challenges during this time. We simply cannot afford to continue down this path, and I thank Senator McKinney for bringing this important discussion to our community. For those who are interested in learning more about the current budget proposal, I encourage you to join us in Greenwich to share your thoughts and learn how to have an impact on the process.”

“When hosting a budget forum for our constituents, it is important that we also listen to them and hear what their concerns are,” said Representative Camillo. “Likewise, knowing what the Governor’s proposal is, what our views on it are, and what the present economic condition of the state is like is vital to the constituents, as well. We are still not out of the recessionary woods yet, and the decisions we will be making in the coming months will go a long way toward either laying the bricks for the path to recovery, or sowing the seeds of a continuation of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.”

“We continue to live in economically challenging times,” said Representative Walko. “The impact of the economic collapse in 2008 continues to linger and adversely affect the ability of municipalities to provide a level services budget. To that end, it is incumbent on the State to view our economic issues as a problem of over-spending not a problem of too little taxation. Reducing the size and scope of government to lessen the tax burden on the hard working citizens of Connecticut must be the cornerstone of any budget passed by the General Assembly. It is my sincere hope that collectively we can address the various shortcomings of the proposed budget to not only decrease the total budget but also the amount of debt incurred.”

Sen. McKinney said he expects that the budget the legislature ultimately votes on and passes will look much different from the governor’s current proposal. “There are simply too many holes in the governor’s budget for it to gain legislative approval without significant changes. I want Connecticut residents to be heard as those changes are being considered by their elected representatives.”

The Greenwich Senior Center is located at 299 Greenwich Avenue. For more information, please contact (860) 240-8884.