Formica, Somers Statement on Gov. Malloy’s Assistance Package for Electric Boat

State Senator Paul Formica (R-East Lyme) and State Senator Heather Somers (R-Groton) released the following statement regarding Governor Dannel P. Malloy’s announcement of over $80 million in state assistance directed toward Electric Boat.

“Connecticut needs to stand tall in support of the defense industry and the incredible growth companies like Electric Boat are bringing to southeastern Connecticut. We are in full support of efforts to increase workforce training to create entry level manufacturing jobs so employers like Electric Boat and other manufacturers can grow their workforce. We are however optimistically cautious about other elements of this proposal. We have concerns about what message is being sent to main street Connecticut by the state incurring more debt and the budget implications this may have in the future. We are concerned about the timing of the capital infrastructure monetary support which comes at a critical juncture for our state. We also have questions about capital costs already included in certain project bids. We look forward to learning more about these concerns and the finer points of the governor’s proposal.

“It’s clear we all agree that manufacturing creates good-paying jobs that will help businesses stay and grow in Connecticut, and help our Connecticut families become financially stable again. There is strong support to assist not only EB but other manufacturers in this endeavor, as demonstrated by a bipartisan proposal before the legislature this year that would have provided immediate financial assistance for workforce training statewide, at the same time it would have initiated a comprehensive review of the capital needs of EB as well as an analysis of obstacles faced by manufacturers before determining how the state could best help such companies grow and thrive.”