House Republican Press Release

September 21, 2007

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Rep. Williams Opposes Pork-Heavy Democrat Bonding Bill; Supports Taxpayer-Friendly GOP Measure

Hails Gov. Rell’s Decision to Veto Unaffordable Democrat Package

State Representative Sean Williams, who opposed a pork-heavy $3.1 billion Democrat bonding package during a special legislative session Thursday, today hailed Governor M. Jodi Rell’s decision to veto the measure (Senate Bill 1501) as necessary to protect Connecticut’s overburdened taxpayers and the state’s currently favorable credit rating.

Representative Williams, R-68^th District, supported a taxpayer-friendly alternative bond package developed by House Republicans, which would have reduced the overall cost of the Democrat proposal by more than $275 million. Most of the savings would have been achieved by eliminating pet projects some legislators added to the package.

“The Democrats’ bond package is unsustainable and unaffordable to our state’s overburdened taxpayers. If the State Bond Commission signed off on all the projects stuffed into this pork-laden monstrosity, the bond sales that would have been necessary to pay for them would have been well in excess of the $1.25 billion borrowing limit recommended by the agencies that rate our state’s bonds,” Representative Williams said. “The rating agencies would have downgraded our state’s favorable bond rating, the state debt would have ballooned, and our children and grandchildren would have been stuck with the bill. I commend Governor Rell’s decision to veto this bill.”

“Most of the transportation, bridge, and school construction projects that were included in the Democrats’ bill – and in our Republican alternative measure – would benefit almost everyone in Connecticut and should be bonded so they can be paid off over 20 to 30 years to minimize the impact on taxpayers,” Representative Williams said. “However, I could not support the measure that passed the state legislature Thursday because of the hundreds of pet projects inserted in the bill that made it unaffordable to the majority of Connecticut’s taxpayers. Our state already has the dubious distinction of having the third-highest bonded debt per person of the 50 states in the U.S. The Democrats’ bond package could have made a bad situation worse.”