House Republican Press Release

February 14, 2006

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Letter to Constituents

The 2006 session of the Connecticut General Assembly has begun and I want to alert you  the bold agenda that Governor Jodi Rell has set out for the Legislature.

End the Property Tax on Motor Vehicles.  Eliminating this tax will be a victory for fairness and a savings for most of our citizens. Because the mill rate is much higher in the big cities, a similar car may be taxed at more than twice the amount in Bridgeport as in New Canaan or Wilton. Casino revenues will help make up the lost revenue. Ending the $350 property tax credit will help too. That credit now benefits only a limited number of people, since our poorest citizens pay no income tax and the credit phases out to zero as income rises through middle levels.

End the Estate Tax.  The estate tax will be gone by 2010. But right away the exemption will be doubled to $4 million and the “cliff effect” will be removed. The cliff effect refers to the quirk in the law that makes an estate subject to tax from the first dollar once the present $2 million threshold is crossed.

Energy. A Department of Energy will be created whose job it will be to shape a coherent policy to meet our energy needs. A 25% cut in the tax on utility bills will offer some relief in the face of high energy costs.

Jobs and the Economy.  Business will get a break through eliminating the corporate surcharge on January 1, and displaced workers will be able to carry a $1,500 tax credit to new employers that offer them jobs.  At the same time we will work to make Connecticut a friendlier venue for business by resisting costly mandates such as the “play or pay” measure to make employers fund the most costly health care options. The various bureaucracies dealing with economic development will be pulled together into a single office reporting to the Governor.

Rainy Day Fund.  Even though the Governor wants tax cuts, she still proposes to reserve $335 million from our projected surplus against the loss of revenue in a future economic downturn.

Eminent Domain. The Governor has asked us to restore the balance in eminent domain authority so ore homeowners won’t lose their property to private developers in order for the government to collect higher property taxes.

I am proud to support these leadership initiatives by our Governor.

Your questions and comments are always welcome.