Saturday, February 23, 2019

Connecticut's New Tax and Spend Budget

Governor Ned Lamont's first budget was an extension of former Governor Malloy's budgets.
The budget increases spending and increases taxes.
There was not much new in his speech this week other than if includes his proposed toll plan taxes will increase over $2.4 billion dollars, $1 billion dollars in new and increased taxes along with at least $1.4 billion dollars in tolls.  This is on top of the $4 billion dollars plus in new and higher taxes that were enacted during the Malloy regime. 
In the Lamont budget the sales tax will be expanded to virtually anything and everything that one uses including vehicle trade ins (even though you paid sales tax already when you bought it new or used you will also pay when you trade it in), college textbooks, soda, plastic bags that you pack groceries in, and parking just to name a few.
Lamont is also is forcing some towns and cities to pay for a portion of teachers pensions costs.  For example in Wallingford the town loses over $1.8 million dollars in this category.  One will assume that for the towns that will lose money their property taxes will increase to offset this loss of funding.  These same towns and cities have no say in how teachers pensions are either negotiated and or structured. 
Tolls are an impending nightmare for Connecticut Taxpayers.  Now 50 tolling places will be installed throughout the state with congestion pricing impact rush hour traffic.  The costs of living in Connecticut will increase dramatically as the costs of tolls will be passed on to all consumer and business goods and services.  I wonder how our Governor with all of his supposed years of business experience would not think the cost of living would not go up from these tolls?  Also how do any of the studies come up with the actual revenue figures from these tolls?  How much per mile?  There are an excessive amount of questions with regards to tolls that are not being answered by our Governor.
However, Governor Lamont stated he was open to suggestions on the budget.
Here is a partial list of mine:
Cut state spending in the following areas. All newly appointed Commissioners would take a 10% cut in pay from the last Commissioner when appointed.  They would not have pensions.  Cut the non union workforce in these agencies by 5%.  (Most new Commissioners got massive raises from the old ones.)
Eliminate all longevity bonuses for state employees. 
Eliminate all non essential bonding for two years.  This would lower interest costs and improve the state bond ratings.
Privatize several state agencies including the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Connecticut with its new budget remains non business friendly and non taxpayer friendly.  It continues the irrational economic policies of Dan Malloy and enacts new burdens on both businesses and taxpayers  that will result in more economic stagnation for the state and more moves out of the state.  There is little economic logic in what we have been presented in this new yet old Lamont tax and spend budget.
By cutting spending and cutting taxes it would help stimulate Connecticut's dormant economy.  But instead the opposite occurs.  It is what we have come to expect from the Omnipotent Party Rule of the Connecticut Democrat Party.  Tax and spend.  Forever until Connecticut is bankrupt. 


Saturday, February 16, 2019

Connecticut's New Tax: Connecticut's Unsustainable Paid Family Leave Law

AN ACT CONCERNING PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE.
To establish a paid family and medical leave system in Connecticut.
Introduced by: Labor and Public Employees Committee


Imagine leaving work and being paid up to $1000 a week for 12 weeks.  Imagine you are a small business with five or ten employees and all get to go out for 12 weeks under Connecticut's new paid Family Leave Law.  But under this new law small business owners must apparently "chill" and figure out how to run their businesses with less employees.  And or hire temporary employees only to fire them after a short period of time and thus pay higher state unemployment taxes.
The costs to Connecticut taxpayers would be $14 to $18 million dollars to start this program, an unknown amount of money to administer the program and a mandated .5% tax on all employee wages to supposedly pay for the program. How this tax will cover the upcoming onslaught of those individuals who are going to use and in many cases abuse the program is beyond me.  However I am confident that this tax will not be enough and thus they will be many increases of this tax in the future.  Again like the crumbling foundations tax Connecticut Taxpayers must pay we will be subsidizing another poorly run state program that will do little to help those who truly need help in taking care of family members.  This new payroll tax will take approximately $35 to $45 million dollars out of our economy monthly to help pay for this program in the short run.  Thus $35 to $45 million dollars will no longer be spent or saved in Connecticut on a monthly basis.  This loss of spending and saving will continue to make Connecticut's economy lag behind the rest of the country.
Why doesn't our state legislature meet with businesses and industry officials and develop a private sector solution to this supposed problem?  I would tend to believe that many employers in the state work with their employees who have issues that they must deal with ill family members.  Since when did taking care of your family become a function of state government? 
I am opposed to this new law that is being considered.  It is irrational to think that our state government bureaucracy has an ability to help people in need taking care of their families. 
Connecticut's has yet another new tax.  Connecticut's Unsustainable Paid Family Leave Law Tax.  More lies force fed to Connecticut Taxpayers.

Saturday, February 02, 2019

Connecticut Wants To Be A Sanctuary State

Connecticut has thousands upon thousands upon thousands of laws.  They are byzantine in nature. Complex and irrational in many cases, self serving for special interest groups and lobbyists.  If one attempts to read the blue book of Connecticut General Statutes there are a mere 978 Chapters of laws covering basically all aspects of our lives here in the state.  How they are actually enforceable is any one's guess as most of voting and election day laws are a sham in our state and are ignored by the Connecticut Democrat Party as seen by the last two elections?
But currently in our state legislature sponsored by State Representative Geoff Luxenberg (D-Manchester) is designated House Bill 5863: 
"AN ACT ESTABLISHING CONNECTICUT AS A SANCTUARY STATE."
"To establish Connecticut as a sanctuary state where immigrants are protected and able to live, work and pursue happiness without fear."
The bill is somewhat self explanatory.  I will assume since the bill's language is very vague that illegal immigrants will be welcome to come to our state and receive state supported help if needed even though they were not legal citizens of Connecticut in the form of medical insurance, housing assistance, food stamps, etc.  There would somehow be exempted from federal laws as far as their illegal status.  Thus Federal Immigration Laws would be void because of this bill.
My initial question is how many immigrant families has State Representative Luxenberg taken in or supported over the years?  I also wonder where State Representative Luxenberg expects the state to get the money to support these illegal immigrants while it has $100 billion dollars in short and long term debt along with unfunded liabilities?
I also wonder why Connecticut has thousands upon thousands upon thousands of laws that take away a great deal of common sense and personal freedom for its legal businesses and legal residents?  Yet with House Bill 5863 you do not have to be a legal citizen to live here and or get benefits from Connecticut.
I see great irony in House Bill 5863 and its place in the 978 Chapters of the Connecticut General Statutes.  Legal citizens of Connecticut should just disregard the laws of the state.  Let chaos reign as related to the torturous Omnipotent One Party Rule of the Connecticut Democrat Party as seen through this bill and many others they are promoting.
House Bill 5863 insults any immigrant who lives in this state and came to our country legally.
House Bill 5863 is an insult to all legal Connecticut residents.