Rep. D’Amelio: Economic Recovery, Jobs, Must be Legislature’s Top Priority in 2009

As the 2009 General Assembly session gets underway, legislators’ most important goal must be to resolve the state’s budget crisis in ways that do not aggravate and prolong the recession, resulting in more business failures and job losses, state Representative Anthony J. D’Amelio said today.

“As we strive to eliminate a state deficit that could go as high as $356 million this year and $6 billion over the next two years, we must do so in ways that will not aggravate and prolong the current recession and result in more business failures and job losses,” said Representative D’Amelio, R-71st District. “I agree with Governor Rell that our deficit mitigation efforts must focus on prudent reductions in state spending and avoiding tax increases on families, individuals and employers that will do further harm to our state’s already weakened economy.”

In her State of the State Address today, Governor Rell said state government should follow the example set by Connecticut families struggling to make ends meet in a stagnant economy. “As families struggle to pay their monthly bills, so will we. As they cut back on expenses and forego new purchases, so must we,” the governor said.

“We need to take decisive, bipartisan action that addresses the state’s budget crisis as soon as possible,” Representative D’Amelio said. “We can achieve that goal if we are more concerned about restoring prosperity and creating and preserving jobs than on who gets the credit for it. We must have the political courage to make the difficult but necessary decisions now, rather than putting them off until the end of the 2009 legislative session, when economic conditions in Connecticut will have gotten worse.”

“One of the keys to resolving the budget crisis is to implement long-overdue reforms to streamline state government, making it more efficient and better able to deliver the services the people of Connecticut need most,” Representative D’Amelio said. “State government and state spending has grown exponentially over the past two decades to the point that Connecticut taxpayers shoulder the country’s heaviest tax burden.”

“Increasing taxes at a time when families, individuals and businesses are struggling to keep their heads above water is not a solution,” Representative D’Amelio said. “Reorganizing and streamlining state agencies and services will help us resolve the budget crisis and enable us to carry out the core functions of state government more efficiently and at less cost. Achieving that goal is essential to pulling our state out of the recession as quickly as possible and ensuring continued economic growth and full employment well into the future.”