Senator Boucher Dismisses Governor Malloy’s Everything-Old-Is-New-Again Tax and Budget Proposals

State Senator Toni Boucher (R-26) today called the Governor’s latest tax and budget cut proposals classic Dan Malloy.

“Governor Malloy is trying to sell the same snake oil he has been forcing on Connecticut taxpayers for the last seven years,” Sen. Boucher said. “Everything old is not new again. It’s just old. And if it didn’t work before, why would any sensible person think it will work now?”

Sen. Boucher said the Governor’s plan seems designed to spread as much pain as possible, particularly on middle-class and low-income residents. Among the Governor’s proposals are:

• Taxing nonprescription drugs
• Eliminating the property tax credit for seniors and taxpayers with dependents
• Eliminating tax breaks on Social Security and pension income
• Increasing the real estate conveyance tax
• Increasing the gas, hotel, and restaurant taxes
• A new tax on tires
• New highway tolls throughout the state
• Cuts to municipal aid

Rejecting the new Education Cost Sharing formula that provides aid to schools based on need, population, poverty and other factor.

“One particular proposal by the Governor is like a bad case of déjà vu,” Sen. Boucher said. “It’s been less than a week since the legislature voted overwhelmingly to override the Governor’s veto of funding for the Medicare Savings Plan. This vote ensured that more than 100,000 low-income seniors and disabled residents receive help paying for prescriptions and insurance. Again, the Governor seeks to eliminate funding for those individuals. What happened to his party being the protector of the poor and disenfranchised?”

Sen. Boucher said while she has already been vocal in her opposition to tolls and an increased gas tax, she will work to counter the Governor’s plan with fiscally responsible ideas that will help move Connecticut.
“The last seven years, Governor Malloy has trotted out the same policies and ideas that have gotten Connecticut deeper and deeper into fiscal crisis,” she said. “It’s the same pig. He can try to dress it up more, put on brighter lipstick, but underneath – it’s still a pig. And his ideas are still wallowing in the mud. It’s time to clean up and move Connecticut into a brighter future.”

Sen. Boucher represents the communities of Bethel, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport, and Wilton.