House Republican Press Release

April 12, 2007

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Rep. DelGobbo: Appropriations Committee Budget will Slow Economic Growth, Job Creation in Connecticut

Middle Class, Working Families will be Hit Hardest by Tax Increases Needed to Support Budget 

The budget adopted by the Democrat-controlled Appropriations Committee will lead to unbearable tax increases that will curb economic growth and mean fewer jobs for middle class and working families in Connecticut, state Representative Kevin M. DelGobbo said today.

“Although this budget is not the final version that will be adopted by the General Assembly, in its present form it would require double digit tax increases to pay for it,” said Representative DelGobbo, the House Ranking Member (Republican Leader) on the Appropriations Committee, who opposed the spending package.

“It would hike state spending by $1.6 billion in the first year and $500 million in the second year. That would amount to a 16 percent increase over two years, which is double or triple the rate of inflation. “I don’t know anyone whose salary is increasing at that rate,” Representative DelGobbo said.

“It is unfathomable to me how the General Assembly could consider a budget that increases at this rate when we are trying to create new jobs, retain existing ones and encourage young people and seniors to continue to live here,” Representative DelGobbo said “This budget is almost certain to derail any possibility that we can achieve that goal and make it part of the kind of future we want for Connecticut.”

“This budget would be utterly devastating and unsustainable to the economy and the people of Connecticut because of the unbearable increase in taxes that would be needed to support it,” Representative DelGobbo said.

“Instead of recklessly increasing expenditures well beyond what the people of Connecticut can afford, we should be setting priorities and restraining state spending,” Representative DelGobbo said. “We can do better than this. We can still draft a budget that addresses the critical needs of the state in a way that does not involve runaway spending and unreasonable tax increases.”

“This budget pretends to make promises to the working families of our state that Connecticut’s economy simply cannot support. It will mean fewer jobs for working people and accelerate the loss of jobs and people from our state,” Representative DelGobbo said. “It is literally a house of cards waiting to collapse.”