House Republican Press Release

April 12, 2007

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Rep. D’Amelio: Appropriations Committee Budget Will Lead to Major Tax Hikes, Sluggish Economy, Fewer Jobs

Tax Increases Will Hurt Greater Waterbury Residents; Aggravate CT Population Flight

The budget adopted by the Appropriations Committee Thursday will lead to major tax hikes that will dampen economic growth, make it more difficult to attract new employers to Connecticut, and mean fewer new jobs for Greater Waterbury residents, state Representative Anthony J. D’Amelio said today.

The biennial budget would increase spending by $1.7 billion in the first year and by $500 million in the second year, for an overall increase of 16 percent over two years, said Representative D’Amelio, R-71^st District, who serves on the Appropriations Committee and voted against the spending package.

“The spending increases proposed in this budget are unreasonable and excessive,” Representative D’Amelio said. “They will lead to massive tax increases that our overburdened taxpayers simply cannot afford. Connecticut residents already shoulder one of the heaviest tax burdens in the country. If the state legislature approves this budget without any significant spending cuts, the tax increases that will come with it will be a drag on our state’s economy, hurt our efforts to make Connecticut more attractive to out of state companies, and mean fewer new jobs for the people of Greater Waterbury.”

“Although Connecticut has real problems that need to be resolved, we simply cannot afford to tackle all of them at once - as this budget proposes to do,” Representative D’Amelio said. “As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I will be working for the next few weeks with both my Republican and Democratic colleagues to fashion a budget that addresses our most urgent problems without raising taxes or slowing economic growth.”