Fasano, Martin Response to Gov. Lamont’s Press Conference on CT’s Infrastructure Needs

If CT needs immediate infrastructure improvements, tolling is not the solution. Prioritize Progress is.

Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano (R-North Haven) and Transportation Committee Ranking Member Senator Henri Martin (R-Bristol) released the following statement in response to comments made by Governor Ned Lamont today at a press conference in Milford regarding infrastructure improvements.

“Prioritize Progress, the Republican transportation funding plan, is the only plan that would allow our state to immediately invest in new infrastructure improvements today. Under our plan, we could create construction jobs now and immediately start work on the roads and bridges that need attention right away. The governor’s tolls plan will take at least five years to get up and running; and in the meantime, the governor’s budget swipes funding for transportation, stealing infrastructure dollars to use elsewhere. Even the DOT has said the governor’s plan would have ‘significant impacts’ on infrastructure improvements, ‘severely constricting the number of new projects that advance in the current, and future years.’ While the governor’s rhetoric calls for immediate action, his plan clearly does not achieve that goal. Instead, the governor’s plan would allow Connecticut’s infrastructure to deteriorate for another five years or more, worsening the state’s problems so that tolls can be seen as a savior.

“The reality is there is another option that does not take any more from taxpayers and that would allow us to invest a historic amount in infrastructure improvements starting today. Prioritize Progress works within the state’s brand new bond cap to cut back on borrowing and redirect existing bonding away from political handouts to instead be used for transportation. At the same time it protects bonding for necessities, including school construction, clean water grants, and housing programs. The Republican plan would also result in less borrowing than the governor’s tolls vision which includes using tolls to back new borrowing for infrastructure, hitting Connecticut residents’ wallets twice.  Prioritize Progress is the only plan that guarantees a cap on borrowing will be respected, that does not ask for any more from CT taxpayers, and that allows for a historic new investment in roads and bridges starting today.”

“If Gov. Lamont is truly concerned about the state’s aging infrastructure, he should be backing the Republican ‘Prioritize Progress’ transportation funding plan. If he believes our state needs to start improving transportation immediately, tolls are not the solution.”