What Is The Second Highest Taxed State in The Country? Democrat Connecticut Of Course!

Connecticut Taxpayers pay an incredible sum of their money on taxes for the honor of living in free speech-squelched Connecticut.  It seems to be getting higher and higher.  A new study released by wallethub.com (wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-states-to-be-a-taxpayer/2416) this past week ranks Connecticut as having the second highest local and state taxes in the country.  The report is a fascinating read on how a state as small as Connecticut can have the second highest taxes in the country.  For example, the difference between the effective total state and local tax rates on median United States households is 14.80% while Connecticut's is 37.47% higher than the average rate.  However, Connecticut residents are used to high taxes on mostly everything and anything in the state. Couple that with seeing mind boggling short and long run state debt along with unfunded liabilities that are well over $150 billion dollars and rising!  In the past, I have argued numerous times that Connecticut has a massive spending problem due to huge political patronage in our state government, along with 30-plus years of omnipotent one party rule that places the party well being over the well being of the Connecticut Taxpayer. 

Connecticut residents pay a myriad of taxes especially on income and personal property.  As if a state income tax is not enough, the state's Family Leave Act tax on income will have no choice but to go up in the future as claims increase. Even though Ned Lamont is dangling a minimal income tax cut for this budget it will be eclipsed by the runaway Democrat induced inflation that the economy has.  Property taxes are an excessive burden for those who own property in the state, especially in Connecticut's large Democrat run cities.  These same cities have turned into cesspools of crime and murders.  The state tax statutes are an incredible, complex and incoherent read of gibberish in the name of taxing literally every single thing in our lives.

From an economics point of view I do not see why cuts in state spending can not take place in proportion to cuts in state taxes?  Why is this so difficult?  Connecticut is definitely a study in two different realms of economic reality.  The first is a harsh economic reality for those legal residents who must toil daily to keep up with the excessive taxes and high cost of living in the state.  The second is the life of luxury and ease for those who are politically connected and profit from state government.  Just look at the amount of political patronage jobs in our state government.  Just look at Ned Lamont's $54 million dollars in secret undisclosed income he made while being a Governor.  Just look at the amount of money the state budget must spend each year for state employees salaries, benefits, pensions and interest on the state debt.  Sickening isn't it?

The solutions have always been simple but have never been advocated for. Cut spending, cut taxes. Eliminate "quasi-publics" and "nonprofits" functioning as government assists, and have a 100% open records law.   But by doing that, elected officials would be giving up their economic power, their economic supremacy, and their totalitarian economic rule over Connecticut and its demeaned and degraded Taxpayers.  These are the same Connecticut Taxpayers that must support this economic failure called state government.  Connecticut has the second highest tax rate in the country and is trying for number one.  It should be successful in increasing its rank in the future due to the current state of economic affairs.  Please note that "Taxation without Representation" is part of our history.  It is worth reading about as it is 1776 all over again.

 

Connecticut Taxpayers New $62500 Tax-Part 2

 To continue with several more points from blog last week on 10/9/21 about the massive debt and unfunded liabilities Connecticut has that amounts to $62500 per taxpayer I would like to focus on several possible solutions to this coming bankruptcy for Connecticut.

There seems to be an excessive amount of state employees who receive above averages wages, salaries, benefits and pensions.  Some of these same state employees will state that they deserve these above average wages, salaries and pensions since they work for the state.  Most of them are unionized employees that I assume are unionized in order to protect them from the apparently harsh and inhumane working conditions that they are facing in the state.  Most of them are unionized employees also so that they are  able to receive these above average wages, salaries, benefits and pensions that are funded by the Connecticut Taxpayers.   I and many others can not see what they are being protected from and why they are being paid these above average wages, salaries and pensions.   In turn for this protection these same unions endorse only the Connecticut Democrat Party and their candidates on a local, state and federal level.   Thus we also see a trade off for votes for these above average wages, salaries, benefits and pensions.  There never seems to be a realistic view of what all these above average wages, salaries, benefits and pensions are costing Connecticut Taxpayers nor of how they are contributing to this $62500 debt tax.  Studies have been done over the years discussing these above average wages, salaries, benefits and pensions for state workers but little if anything is done about it.  We also have seen over the years that if a State Representative or State Senator loses an election some of them somehow find a state job with above average wages, salaries, benefits and pensions for themselves.  If they are short years for a state pension it seems like jobs are created for these same State Representatives or State Senators so that their pensions may grow and or be increased in monetary value.  I know of no report over the years that has been commissioned or developed to record the amount of political patronage jobs that were created since 1991 and how much it has cost Connecticut Taxpayers.  I am confident it is in the millions of dollars.  Why are we paying so much in these above average wages, salaries and pensions and receiving questionable if not little to no value for the state in return since the state is so badly managed?  Why can't this issue be addressed?  

Executive Order Governor Ned Lamont has benefited from the never ending Connecticut Covid-19 crisis.  Several companies that his family's hedge fund own have received no bid Connecticut State contracts that they apparently have profited from.  We do not know how much the Governor or his hedge fund has paid in Connecticut state taxes (the last income and tax summary for the Governor was from 2017, I can not obtain any newer information on either personal or business taxes paid from 2018 on)  or how much profit was obtained by these same contracts.  Why is this information so secret?  Does the Governor's family hedge fund even pay taxes in the state?  We do not know nor apparently are we allowed to know as Connecticut Taxpayers.  

One can also argue that for a state as small as Connecticut why is it spending so much money?  Where does the money actually go?  If one looks at the last state budget we see an enormous amount of the state budget goes to debt payments and to state employee wages, salaries, benefits and pensions even though each year we are told there is somehow some sort of shared sacrifice going on to lower these costs.  With a $62500 debt per Connecticut Taxpayer one could argue that the state way overspends on its budget and has little results from it since the state ranks last or near last in most economic categories and near the top in highest taxes in the country.  Connecticut taxpayers are not getting value for their hard earned tax monies.

Connecticut needs a serious austerity based state government economic plan to cut spending, reduce the state's workforce, find ways to save money anywhere and everywhere, do much more with much less and learn what real sacrifice is as Connecticut Taxpayers have learned since the Utopian Lowell Weicker State Income Tax was force fed on them in 1991 taking away their income.  Connecticut needs a real budget for real times that cuts state spending rather than just shove items off budget.  Connecticut's State Government must learn to work for Connecticut Taxpayers not the other way around.   Connecticut needs to change or it will really face bankruptcy sooner than later.  Connecticut Taxpayers don't need to accept this $62500 tax.  It truly is "Taxation Without Representation".

Drinks For The State Legislature Compliments Of Connecticut Taxpayers

 

In the secret physical meeting rooms of Connecticut’s Legislature what apparently has been going on beyond closed doors for a long time has actually come to light through a video of Democrat Representative Robin Comey of Branford on the floor of the House obviously impaired from alcohol trying to speak.  She later admitted her guilt and issued an apology.  Democrat Speaker of the House Matt Ritter “read the riot act” to his caucus about alcohol use (whatever that means in Connecticut) and another crisis seems to be buried and hushed up once again.

This situation of drinking on the job was also brought to light when the upper parking lot of the State Legislator Building was apparently used for tailgating by some legislators for drinks after a session.

If you are a Connecticut Taxpayer you need to ask a few questions.

1.  Why does the State Legislature continue to meet at all hours of the night when discussing and voting on legislation?

2. What would happen if you were drinking or using drugs at your job?  Is drinking or using drugs at your job allowed?

3. Are you allowed to drink in the parking garage and or parking lot of your place of employment either during and or after working hours?

4. Why has this situation apparently gone on for years and been hushed up?

5. How many pieces of legislation and laws have been passed with votes by alcohol impaired State Legislators?  Hundreds? Thousands?  

6. Why is drinking allowed in this Connecticut Taxpayer funded building?

7.  How does an impaired by alcohol State Legislator actually represent the Connecticut Taxpayers in their district?  

This is a serious problem that has come to light.  By “reading the riot act” really does not give Connecticut Taxpayers any assurances that this type of behavior will stop.  It to me just continues to reinforce the concept that our Connecticut State Legislature and in particular the Connecticut Democrat Party is completely irresponsible in its actions and has no regard to the rule of law nor respects in any way shape or form the Connecticut Taxpayers who through their payment of the taxes paid to the state of Connecticut support this Banana Republic based form of government. Starting from Ned Lamont and his family’s hedge fund profits from the Covid-19 crisis to the corruption of Bridgeport, to now alcohol impaired State Legislators, Connecticut Taxpayers again have no rights, no voice in state government nor any reason to keep supporting this legislative body or state government through paying their taxes.

We know our questions will never be answered.  We know when we comment in a public hearing about upcoming legislation it is ignored.  And we now have yet another debacle that will be hushed up and magically go away.

Connecticut’s government is an incoherent, non-functional garbage pail of failed ideas, failed laws and failed leadership.  To me there is no reason to keep funding it.  It is time to start over with a new government as we really have “Taxation Without Representation”.