My We Never Forget

For all those who made the ultimate sacrifice and for all those who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. Thank you.

One thing can do to make sure that those who mad the ultimate sacrifice and for all those who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice not in vain is to vote!

In an editorial in the Hartford Courant they say this about candidates…

Editorial: We Need Answers To These Three Questions

The next governor of Connecticut, whoever it is, will be saddled with massive financial problems that will all but consume his term in office. Sadly, though, the top candidates for governor have given the citizens very little in the way of detailed plans for how they plan to get the state out of the mess.

It’s not hard to describe the problem: The state’s revenue falls short of expenses, and the biggest long-term expenses are the state’s unfunded obligations to state employees, along with road, bridge and other infrastructure costs.

So candidates should be specific about how they plan to solve the problem. Cut spending, raise taxes, or both? Where would they cut, and where would they tax? Does the math work? These decisions will have serious long-term implications for the financial health of the state. Only by knowing how the candidates will approach the problems — with specific details — will Connecticut’s voters be armed with the information they need to make the best choice.
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We don’t need candidates’ fury. We have enough. We need their answers to three specific questions:

1. Where is the money coming from? The next biennial budget faces an estimated shortfall of more than $4 billion. Candidates should state clearly how they plan to solve that problem. If it’s by raising taxes, they should explain which taxes. If they plan to cut taxes, they will need to explain where they plan to cut an equal amount of spending or how they plan to raise revenue to fill the gap. Simply saying “I will not balance the budget on the backs of workers” leaves unanswered the question of how the candidate will balance it. If the plan is to restructure the state employee retirement plans, the candidate must explain, in detail, how.

2. How should Connecticut’s economy grow? Of course we need jobs. Every candidate promises jobs. But there are many strategies to developing the state’s economy. Candidates should be specific: Do their plans promise job growth through casino expansion? Through more incentives to corporations? Through cuts to the corporate tax? Through public-private partnerships? How much more or less money will come into the state with those changes, and in what timeframe?

3. Who will have to make sacrifices? No candidate wants to alienate voters by telling them they’re going to have to shell out more money to the state. But glossing over this part of the problem is dishonest. If the governor wants a tax cut, then revenues will go down, likely shifting the burden to town budgets. If the governor wants to cut expenses, that means social services, schools or state employees could sacrifice. Finding “efficiencies” is a great idea, but even if the state were to find $1 billion in operational savings — as suggested by the Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth — that still leaves the state billions in the red. Candidates should be honest about it. Those who offer nothing but glowing promises have either have no idea how to make them come true or are being opaque.

Be an informed voter educate yourself on where the politicians stand on issues. 

Vote in every election.