[Ericthebean]

There's no wikipedia on Malloy's opponent

All I get from YouTube is a speech on guns guns guns

I don't care about the guns...I care about job growth in Connecticut

I don't care about speeches about our founders 375 years ago on limited government, easier said than done

I will vote against Malloy if one can show me the opponent is equally as knowledgeable about the state of Connecticut

What programs worked?
What programs failed?
Which citizens are not getting a fair end of the stick?
Which citizens can be aided more efficiently
What spending should be cut?
And know some history of our state's goals and recent strides


If an opponent can't offer this much in conversation, regardless of how much I don't really like malloy, I am stuck having to re-elect him. I want a seriously knowledgeable executive of my state at a minimum

[ctwhitechin]

he wont help because he wont be given the chance too

[hartford_renter]

Foley will do what Republicans do and Democrats will not

Cut taxes

Cut spending

He won't pay companies to stay in CT

Businesses are leaving because the cost of doing business is high in CT and cheaper in more reasonable states

Get it>?

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by hartford_renter

Foley will do what Republicans do and Democrats will not

Cut taxes

Cut spending

He won't pay companies to stay in CT

Businesses are leaving because the cost of doing business is high in CT and cheaper in more reasonable states

Get it>?

Not without the participation of the state assembly and senate, he won't. Perhaps he can get them to meet ant the middle and make some necessary cute.

I'm not sure how cutting taxes would work with the pension obligations we currently have, the infrastructure investment needed and the level of services people expect here. If he can do it, he has my support.

The main reason that COL is high and business costs are high here is because of real estate... plain and simple. There's nothing any governor can do that will bring real estate costs down-- and if they did they wouldn't see reelection.

[bobtn]

Taxes will not be cut, unless he follows through with what Malloy tried..switch new state employees to a 401k..not a defined pension. That will happen, all over the country, it is simply an issue of when.

The 2nd step will be to cap pensions for some existing employees (with current age being the cutoff), with a 401k added thereafter.

Massoff is correct in linking pension obligations to the state tax issue. It is a game-changer, and will soon lead Illinois into determining whether a state can declare bankruptcy.

[BPt111]

CT is going become next New Jersey

[hartford_renter]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

Not without the participation of the state assembly and senate, he won't. Perhaps he can get them to meet ant the middle and make some necessary cute.

I'm not sure how cutting taxes would work with the pension obligations we currently have, the infrastructure investment needed and the level of services people expect here. If he can do it, he has my support.

The main reason that COL is high and business costs are high here is because of real estate... plain and simple. There's nothing any governor can do that will bring real estate costs down-- and if they did they wouldn't see reelection.

This is what I'm talking about excuses

If the Republican's are in control they will, say it with me now mlassoff

CUT TAXES AND REDUCE SPENDING!

That's what they are running on and that's what they plan to do

You can make all your usual excuses which we all know is because your very partisan

Just. Let. it, go.

[CTbrooktrout]

I like Tom Foley and do hope he'll be given a chance to try something new. However I don't think cutting taxes and "spending" alone will work. How much can he honestly cut before service and quality of life start to take hits? Being extremely generous, I he could probably only find a max of 15% savings on cutting redudancies and creating efficiencies. How do you cut pension benefits? These are guaranteed are they not? Unless people who we owe money to start dying in waves (which I do not wish upon anyone) then how are we going to reduce our liabilities? For those that have pensions, how do we convince them to accept less?

We're definitely a high cost of living area. One of the most significant expenses for a company is payroll. Who here is willing to start making less money even if your cost of living went down? I know in my industry, financial services, many wall street type firms are moving operational work to places like Buffalo, NY and Salt Lake City because you can pay someone 20-30% less for the same job. Even with Foley I don't see us being able to compete with that here.

Cutting will only get you so far but it may not be enough in our case. I'm all for lowering costs but that is not the only answer. I think we require some additional investment or better allocation of funds to increase our strategic advantages.

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by hartford_renter

This is what I'm talking about excuses

If the Republican's are in control they will, say it with me now mlassoff

CUT TAXES AND REDUCE SPENDING!

That's what they are running on and that's what they plan to do

You can make all your usual excuses which we all know is because your very partisan

Just. Let. it, go.

Excuses? What are you talking about? The governor doesn't rule by edict. The congress will remain Democratic, so, unless there is serious negotiating and a level of agreement by the Democrats in the state there will be no tax cuts and spending reductions.

The reality is that were on the hook of a level of pension obligations that doesn't allow us to cut spending, lower taxes, and maintain the level of state services we have now.

It's not as simple as "cut spending, cut taxes." We have obligations that will last decades that aren't going away...

[Ericthebean]

Originally Posted by hartford_renter

Foley will do what Republicans do and Democrats will not

Cut taxes

Cut spending

He won't pay companies to stay in CT

Businesses are leaving because the cost of doing business is high in CT and cheaper in more reasonable states

Get it>?

How does not paying companies to stay in Connecticut... keep companies in Connecticut????

The problem with the just cut the spending....is don't you at all care what spending we are cutting out? Do you like the education in this state? The special programs for deaf and autistics? The great medical research that is partially state-funded. Some of this state's spending is predicated on years of solid values of our people and took years or decades to implement. Deficits were a more recent thing because the national state of our economy took a dive and that meant more Connecticut taxation to maintain what we could no longer afford. Sadly we will have to make cuts, but I refuse to elect a governor who won't tell me specifically what we are cutting and what we are not cutting.

What about the forestation projects and acres of bike trails? What about the state parks you enjoy? What about the fixing of those ferries and bridges that you care about when you live in this state?

The republican opponent should have made transparent a budget of Malloy's spending allocations by program versus his own. That is what would persuade me to change my vote and I don't see that so I am stuck with Malloy

I will not settle on spending cuts without agreeing to what is being cut. Our state is not without a benefit loss when something we have been enjoying and taking for granted is taken away from us. Once you cut something, it's gone