Democrat Spending Proposal Uses Fuzzy Math, New Earmarks, will Result in Higher Taxes

Democrat Spending Proposal Back to the Old Days: Fuzzy Math, New Earmarks, New Spending, Higher Property Taxes and Over $1 Billion Resulting State Tax Increase

Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano (R-North Haven) released the following statement regarding the Democrat-controlled Appropriations Committee’s state spending proposal for Fiscal Years 2020/2021 released today.

“The Democrats’ proposal is a massive step backward for Connecticut families. It burdens families with more taxes as a result of new spending when we are facing a deficit. Once again, Democrats use political earmarks in a budget to gain favor. The budget relies on unrealized labor savings.  It will result in even more new taxes on Connecticut residents than Gov. Lamont has proposed and as predicted rejects the governor’s ‘debt diet.’ At a time when our state needs to get serious about change, this proposal goes back to the old days of gluttonous spending, political handouts and made up savings that are impossible to achieve.

“I appreciate the efforts of the committee leaders to restore elements of the bipartisan budget that Gov. Lamont tried to dismantle, namely funding for mental health and substance abuse treatment and local education funding at the levels that were included in the bipartisan budget. However, I am deeply alarmed by the drastic increase in spending through new earmarks and the reliance on made up numbers.

“The Democrat proposal will result in a state tax increase of well over $1 billion, as it spends more than Gov. Lamont’s proposal and eliminates proposals from the governor’s administration to reduce spending through initiatives such as privatization. Meanwhile, it counts on labor savings Gov. Lamont has said point-blank he will not be able to achieve, and other labor savings that Gov. Lamont has yet to achieve. Right off the bat that’s over $450 million in made up savings. On top of that, it includes a massive increase in local property taxes by shifting teacher pension costs onto towns and cities. Their budget jeopardizes our parks by removing money from the Passports to Parks program, breaking promises at the same time they are making new ones.

“Instead of using the bipartisan budget as a base, Democrats are latching on to Gov. Lamont’s unbalanced budget and offering a plan that will result in even more new taxes on Connecticut residents. It adds spending, eliminates real savings, and counts on savings that have yet to be achieved. This direction, reminiscent of the Malloy era, has not worked for Connecticut in the past, and it won’t move our state forward today.”