Cafero Praises Malloy’s Words, Pans His Actions
by Hugh McQuaid | Mar 9, 2011 12:57pm
(11) Comments | Commenting has expired
Posted to: Business, State Budget, State Capitol
Following Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s Wednesday address to a packed house of business and industry leaders, House Minority Leader Larry Cafero spent about three minutes praising the governor’s rhetoric before saying that his actions haven’t reflected those words.
Malloy and Cafero spoke at the Connecticut Business and Industry Association’s Business Day event where over 500 industry and business leaders converged on the Legislative Office Building. And Cafero began his remarks by pointing out what a breath of fresh air Malloy was.
“Make no mistake about it, when he walks in to a room, we know who’s in charge,” he said. “We needed that. I like that.”
Cafero said he wished the governor the best of luck, noting that if he doesn’t succeed the state doesn’t succeed. No one in the room could disagree with Malloy’s words since taking office, he said.
Taking the road less travelled, doing things differently, consolidating government, Cafero liked it all. Following up on a campaign promise to institute generally accepted accounting principles was a good first move, he said.
However, the inevitable “but” came when the Republican leader got to the budget proposal Malloy unveiled on Feb. 16., the details of which Cafero said left him a little confused.
“I’ll ask you, when you read the budget, did the details sort of seep through the psyche? Were you slapping each other fives in the board rooms? Were there backslaps at the water coolers?” he asked. He said he didn’t think that was the case.
Because for all the talk of shared sacrifice it seemed the governor failed to realize that some people have already been sacrificing, he said. That comment got an “amen” from someone in the crowd.
Business leaders have been sacrificing all along, he said. Over the years, time and again they have had to look a valued employee in the eye and say they could no longer afford to keep them, he said.
Utility bills, health insurance bills, tuition have all continued to rise, he said. Those are the sacrifices people in the state have endured, sacrifices that aren’t reflected in any budget document, he said.
And the sacrifices Malloy has proposed for the government sector just were not enough, Cafero said.
“You have to cut spending,” he said, three times in a row to the applause of the crowd. But the budget proposed increases spending by almost $1 billion over two years, he said.
What good is a consolidation of government that only saves $10 million, he asked. Cafero said he asked the governor’s staff how many people the state employs and was told it was about the equivalent of 47,000 full time people. Under the new budget, only 150 people would lose their jobs, he said.
No state services were being privatized, he said. Of all the state’s assets that could be shed to make government smaller, Malloy’s administration has only recommended closing a small, two-person police barracks in the Southeast end of the state, he said.
The budget has left people scratching their heads asking, “‘where’s the shared sacrifice?’ Somebody here ain’t sharing, folks,” Cafero said.
And the business leaders seemed concerned about a number of issues moving forward in the legislature. Among them was the proposed paid sick leave measure, something business advocates have been fighting for years. Senate Republican Leader John McKinney agreed that sort of mandate would damage the state’s business climate.
“You can’t say we’re pro-business, we want jobs, we want you guys to create jobs and then be the first state in the country to pass mandated paid sick leave. You can’t do it,” he said.
About 85 percent of businesses in the state with over 50 people already have paid sick leave, McKinney said. The ones that don’t are operating on such a thin margin they simply can’t afford it, he said. But even with a limited impact, the mandate sends the wrong message to the business community, he said.
Despite backing a number of unpopular proposals, Malloy was received warmly by the group, who gave him a standing ovation as he exited.
But the business leaders did not shy away from asking him tough questions. And Malloy seems used to that sort of encounter. On Tuesday night he attended his fourth town hall style meeting in Waterbury with residents, all of whom had something to hate in the budget, he noted.
The governor credited himself for publicly defending his budget rather than dropping it on the floor and retreating. But he joked that he may be a glutton for punishment.
“I’m doing these 17 town hall meetings. Honestly, you’re looking at a guy who may have a screw loose or something,” he said.
But the governor asked the business leaders to demand honesty and transparency from their elected officials. And in that, his message wasn’t that far off from Cafero’s message, which was to hold the legislature accountable for their actions.
“Hold my feet to the fire,” he told them. “Get in my face. Get in the face of every legislator in this building. Cause now it’s our turn. The governor did what he’s constitutionally supposed to do—submit a budget and now we have to come up with one and we need your help.”
Tags: cafero, Malloy, CBIA, business, paid sick leave, Budget
(11) Comments
posted by: Mansfield1 | March 9, 2011 2:00pm
So Larry, tell us exactly where you want spending cuts? State Police, corrections, nursing homes, mental retardation, children, hospitals, roads, unemployment or what? Saying “State Employees” is an evasion on your part if that’s all you keep repeating. Which programs have “failed” to use a favorite phrase of yours? Do we sell the old, sick and retarded to the lowest bidder to make you happy? Really wealthy people should love this budget because essentially it dumps the load mostly on the 35-65K people. As a grandstander you’re a pro but as someone who has to be responsible your major responsiblity seems to be running your mouth more than anything else.
posted by: BMS | March 9, 2011 5:36pm
How about eliminating corporation tax loopholes. The corporation tax rate is 7.5%. However, 70% of that tax is offset by tax credits. Therefore, the net tax rate for corporations is 2,25%. Eliminate the corporation franchise tax and put in a corporation income tax with the same rates that individuals pay.
posted by: ... | March 9, 2011 7:44pm
Nice to hear a Republican saying he hopes a leader, even as a member of the other party, will succeed because it is better for our state, rather than trying to use failure as a means for political gain.
posted by: hawkeye | March 9, 2011 8:53pm
Gov. Malloy is superb with rhetoric, as Larry Cafero praised him for. That’s why Malloy is traveling the state, on a Town Hall “Soap Opera agenda.”
If Gov. Dan (The Tax Man) keeps repeating himself, “with his tough choices story,” some people will believe him, and he will not have to seriously confront the unions for concessions, or further trim the budget. But, the people will be hit with his massive taxation because the Governor says he needs it, to close our budget deficit.
The main reason that Malloy is doing the Town Hall meeting circuit, is so Malloy can sell the state residents, on paying much higher taxes! Malloy keeps repeating the same “tough choices story” at every Town Hall meeting.
posted by: ... | March 9, 2011 10:04pm
And yet people from the Q poll support the Town Halls 89 percent. Sounds like good policy and politics to me.
Anyone who understands the budget process knows it will come under legislative scrutiny and changes over time.
And Malloy will be conveying and updating the public on those changes, as well as his sharing opinion on him, during these later meetings as well.
posted by: BMS | March 9, 2011 11:22pm
Malloy is asking for concessions that equal $22,000 per state employee. If the average state employee gives up $22,000 he would make more on unemployment compensation.
posted by: ... | March 10, 2011 12:30am
With all due respect BMS you know that is a lie. Question: Who funds every aspect of the state worker’s career? Answer: The taxpayer. So divide that 1 billion in concessions per year by, oh say, a couple million taxpayers.
The funding is taxpayer based and so the reduction is from every taxpayer, whether in a union for state workers or not. It isn’t a literal 22,000 out of every workers pocket, and everyone knows that.
posted by: BMS | March 10, 2011 12:57pm
Dear jonessAC12 do you as a taxpayer have a vote on employee concessions? Unless you are a state employee you do not have a vote. The reason the state employees have a vote is because they are the ones being asked to open up negotiated contracts and to reduce their pay and benefits. The $22,000 per state employee is theirs to give up. If they give it up they will never get it back. Those concessions will impact their pay and benefits for there entire career and into their retirement years.
posted by: ... | March 10, 2011 7:42pm
Yes I do have a vote BMS. It is called I voted for Malloy. I voted for him with all intentions there would be seeking concessions from unions to solve our budget deficit. So yea I do have a vote. And yea, I and millions of CT residents pay for your life and benefits.
So we may not have this privileged ‘vote’ within the unions, but we give you a portion of our hard earned dollars so you can have a hard earned living.
And just so you have a bit of a news updated: There was a Great Recession recently that impacted everyone’s pay and retirement benefits, especially 401ks that are just starting to recover. We have all suffered over the past 2 years. And now we’re going to be taxed more, and you don’t want to take cut backs for the sake of a balanced budget?
Sounds sadly like the typical “tax or take from them to solve our problems, but leave me alone!”, which runs through almost everyone’s veins right now. The selfishness that we are in a mess, but no one wants to pick up a mop. Just stand on the sidelines and criticize how they clean the mess.
posted by: BMS | March 10, 2011 10:49pm
What are their concessions?
Calhoun, James A Mens Basketball coach UConn $2,361,939.83
Auriemma, Geno Womens Basketball coach UConn $1,643,481.00
Edsall, Randy D Football coach UConn $1,537,857.83
posted by: Mansfield1 | March 11, 2011 4:02pm
Facinating. DEAD SILENCE on what exactly to cut. Who should we screw? On the other hand I like the tax loophole idea. How about collecting the UNPAID sales tax all of the 7/11 type operations don’t bother to pay? Or the payroll taxes that some employers don’t send in? Ordinary folks have to pay their taxes via the employer but not everyone on the boss side of the ledger pays. Which makes it harder for the businesses that do. Hmmmm?