Governor Malloy talks about Hartford

[grock]

Gov. was on Channel 3 yesterday and talking about building apartments and I-84. http://dennishouse.wordpress.com/2012/01/15/governor-calls-for-new-housing-in-downtown-hartford-and-a-full-service-starbucks/

[HartfordTycoon]

I really think when all is said and done that this governor will be great for Hartford and the other cities of CT. I agree with everything he said about thousands of more housing units, Starbucks, and the NHL and XL Center. Sounds like he will not be in favor of doing nothing and just letting the XL center crumble. Also sounds like he would be willing to assist with getting more housing built downtown. The city needs to keep adding housing downtown until there are enough units for about 10 - 15 thousand residents downtown. There are many ignorant people who do not realize that housing downtown has been a complete success and that we just need to keep adding units. I'm glad those people are not in power. Ideally downtown Hartford would boast a population about the size of a small CT town and start to have that critical mass and affluent population that will really make national retailers and developers notice.

[beerbeer]

This guy is responsible for the largest tax increase in Connecticut history and the first bill forcing small business to buy health care. These are anti-business measures that hurt the entire state. Asking Starbucks to stay open on week ends isn't the solution to Hartford's problems. The business climate created by Malloy and a generation of Democratic politicians is.

[HartfordTycoon]

This guy is responsible for the largest tax increase in Connecticut history and the first bill forcing small business to buy health care. These are anti-business measures that hurt the entire state. Asking Starbucks to stay open on week ends isn't the solution to Hartford's problems. The business climate created by Malloy and a generation of Democratic politicians is.

The budget is balanced and state aid to cities and towns was not cut. We didn't have massive layoffs of state employees leading to even higher unemployment either. He's lured the Cigna headquarters back to the region and is making a sound investment with the Jackson Labs deal. I don't get you sometimes, Beerbeer. You support public spending on a new arena in Hartford yet want to see massive tax decreases and I assume layoffs of public sector workers. I'm not sure how to reconcile that. Most on the right would never want tax dollars to go to something like a new arena or even mass transit but you seem to support those pro-urban policies. I'm not sure how those things get funded though in your world.

[Luca Brasi]

It gets funded through cutting spending and smaller government. Have you seen the pension and benefit deals state workers get? Its insane. Since when was someone supposed to get wealthy as a state worker? We are one of the most taxed states in the country as evidenced by the loss of business and jobs in this state. The answer is not to continue raising taxes on those who drive the economy because those people leave. As a business owner in Hartford and Connecticut, I can tell you the amount of tax I pay every year is obscene. 20 years ago, the state had no lottery money, no casino revenues and no income tax... we have all that now and are still broke. Its not hard to figure out the problem.

[beerbeer]

I support public spending that has a payback to citizens either through infrastructure, quality of life, or safety nets.

I believe government has a responsibility to keep the citizens safe, to provide sanitation and education. These are all areas where the state has real responsibilities.

I support mass transit because I see the payback in communities all over America. Where public transit goes, economic development, jobs, population growth and entertainment follow. It is a real investment. There is real payback.

I cannot support higher energy prices to placate environmentalists, or anti-business measures to placate unions, or higher taxes that only add to bloated bureaucracy of state government.

I don't feel I need to reconcile these views. I see them as consistent. Government has a role. But that's all, a role. It should be as small and intrude as little as possible.

[HartfordTycoon]

It gets funded through cutting spending and smaller government. Have you seen the pension and benefit deals state workers get? Its insane. Since when was someone supposed to get wealthy as a state worker? We are one of the most taxed states in the country as evidenced by the loss of business and jobs in this state. The answer is not to continue raising taxes on those who drive the economy because those people leave. As a business owner in Hartford and Connecticut, I can tell you the amount of tax I pay every year is obscene. 20 years ago, the state had no lottery money, no casino revenues and no income tax... we have all that now and are still broke. Its not hard to figure out the problem.

I don't agree that there are too many rank and file state workers. When is the last time you went to DMV and said, gee there are too many people working today! I think there are way too many managers though and probably way too much overtime being paid out. I do agree that the pensions and health benefits for retired state workers need to be reformed and brought into line with what we have in the private sector. I feel like my personal property taxes are obscene as well. I don't enjoy paying taxes, don't get me wrong. I think there needs to be a middle of the road approach taken to getting these issues under control.

[HartfordTycoon]

I support public spending that has a payback to citizens either through infrastructure, quality of life, or safety nets.

I believe government has a responsibility to keep the citizens safe, to provide sanitation and education. These are all areas where the state has real responsibilities.

I support mass transit because I see the payback in communities all over America. Where public transit goes, economic development, jobs, population growth and entertainment follow. It is a real investment. There is real payback.

I cannot support higher energy prices to placate environmentalists, or anti-business measures to placate unions, or higher taxes that only add to bloated bureaucracy of state government.

I don't feel I need to reconcile these views. I see them as consistent. Government has a role. But that's all, a role. It should be as small and intrude as little as possible.

I agree with much of what you say. Unfortunately I don't feel like many Dems or Repubs share these middle of the road views. Repubs would just as soon not fund any mass transit or spend public money on economic development and Dems allow the public employees to walk all over them. If only there was some sort of 3rd party somewhere in the middle that believed in investing in things for the public good and that the free market would not always be the answer but also that government bureaucracy needs to be seriously trimmed and that public employees should have the same retirement packages as private sector workers. I don't see anyone who espouses these views so I support what I see as the lesser of two evils. For me, it's more important to see that public investment in infrastructure, economic development, and education than it is to risk having all of these things neglected so that the size of government can be reduced.

[beerbeer]

Another building was foreclosed today, this one on Constitution Plaza. City Place 2 is headed there fast.

The high tax, anti-business regulations that have emptied these building are coming home to roost. Maybe the the city and state need a true crisis to come to there senses. Heck, even the governor of New York was smart enough to balance the budget with no tax increase and they are just as liberal as Connecticut. Malloy treated businesses to the biggest tax increase in the state's history and piled on the regulations while giving the unions four years of no cuts. It's insanity.

That's my problem, Democrats punishing businesses and rewarding unions. It get Democrats re-elected but it has hurt the state for decades and is about to put the state into critical care.

[drc72]

I don't agree that there are too many rank and file state workers. When is the last time you went to DMV and said, gee there are too many people working today! I think there are way too many managers though and probably way too much overtime being paid out. I do agree that the pensions and health benefits for retired state workers need to be reformed and brought into line with what we have in the private sector. I feel like my personal property taxes are obscene as well. I don't enjoy paying taxes, don't get me wrong. I think there needs to be a middle of the road approach taken to getting these issues under control.

Hate to break it to you, but nothing will ever change with the Democrats in control. Lets be realistic here, do you honestly think malloy is gonna do all that to his union constituency? Never in a million years. All his threats during the budget battle was smoke and mirrows. We are dead last in job creation. At least with Rowland we made some progress on that, but even he could of done a hell of a lot more. I completely lost hope when malloy got elected. Look what happened in the 80s without an income tax, CT and Hartford was booming. Hartford was on the verge of a major expansion. The income tax throw all that out the window. So sad what could of been.

[The Voice of Reason]

Malloy has done more to curb the anti business lean in this state than anyone in a long time.

You guys are so damn party politic based that you loose the fact that our democratic gov is more pro business and more anti union than Republican Jodi Rell and Rowland.

How about in CT we just accept that we have good leaders, absent leaders and corrupt leaders. Right now we have one that seems to be one of the better leaders. He may be a democrat, but Ill tell ya he appears more conservative that Rell did, and its just rediculous to me that people need to winge about him because of his party affiliation. crap I hated Rell for being an ineffective waste of time. I liked Roland for being a big thinker, and I like Malloy for his attempts at shaking up the unions and their pensions and honestly trying to solve our long term financial issues(successful or not he has put in some solid effort that will bring long term benefits if not short term fixes)

[drc72]

Malloy has done more to curb the anti business lean in this state than anyone in a long time.

You guys are so damn party politic based that you loose the fact that our democratic gov is more pro business and more anti union than Republican Jodi Rell and Rowland.

How about in CT we just accept that we have good leaders, absent leaders and corrupt leaders. Right now we have one that seems to be one of the better leaders. He may be a democrat, but Ill tell ya he appears more conservative that Rell did, and its just rediculous to me that people need to winge about him because of his party affiliation. crap I hated Rell for being an ineffective waste of time. I liked Roland for being a big thinker, and I like Malloy for his attempts at shaking up the unions and their pensions and honestly trying to solve our long term financial issues(successful or not he has put in some solid effort that will bring long term benefits if not short term fixes)

LMAO!!!! Conservative????????????? Give me a break! Oh yeah raising taxes on small business, and individuals really makes for a pro-business agenda, Come on now! You want really economic growth? Cut taxes across the board, and bring State employee costs down to provate sector levels, and I'll bet you a million dollars we would be booming again. Sorry but Malloy is just a typical tax and spend liberal. Were dead last last in job creation.

[beerbeer]

The Republicans are not much better but the Democrats are absolutely irresponsible and Malloy has continued their war with business.

He passed the biggest tax increase in Connecticut history.

He actually increased the size f Connecticut state government.

He passed anti-small business health care mandates (the only one in the country).

He gave state unions a four year moratorium on any layoffs.

The Democratic legislature passed energy policies that made Connecticut uncompetitive with other states including the highest gas tax in America.

In 2008 they passed global warming rules that don't affect global warming and handcuff Connecticut businesses.

I mean, really, this stuff is insane. It is the most active anti-business agenda in the country. It has placed Connecticut last in the country in job creation. Companies are sprinting towards the border. Even the head of United Technologies has said the business climate is better anywhere but Connecticut. When UT talks, these idiots should listen.

These are the reason Hartford's vacancy rate is going up and not coming down. And it won't come down until these issues are addressed. I'm not saying there are no successes. But the trend is awful. The state needs to wake up or Hartford will turn into a ghost town and the rest of the state will follow.

[The Voice of Reason]

thanks for the reasonable response Beer!

not that I am in full agreement with you.

I think the states issues began long before Malloy Rell or Roland came to office. its in the small town with every amenity mentality that causes never ending sprawl and replication of services in even the smallest towns.

There is a reason people congregate into cities, and if the cities are not supported, the towns will fail as well. we have a whole state confused by its identity.. are we NY are we New England?

we are fighting NU on buying a Mass company because people lost power on a freak storm... seriously? the states biggest tax payer and a massive economic engine for the state in being held back from expanding into Boston because feelings were hurt? The NSTAR Acquisition could bring significant job opportunities to CT and Hartford specifically, but we need to fight their ability to grow... dot through taxes or politics, but because we are a state collectively of whiney spoilt beotches.... hows that for ya?

I think that arguing about politics is kinda funny because they are just a cartoonish representation of those whom elect them. Malloy would at least bribe NU to stay in state and grow jobs here even if he angers small businesses.

Rell et all did nothing to lower takes, did nothing to lure business, and somehow managed to nothing significant even though the state had unprecedented surpluses and revenue growth... its called planning for a future..

I think Malloy is doing that, but I think the truth is that there needs to be pain before there can be gain at this point, and the Gov only has limited powers in the state., so for s part he is doing pretty good. he is not the devil, and he is not destroying the state.

[drc72]

The Republicans are not much better but the Democrats are absolutely irresponsible and Malloy has continued their war with business.

He passed the biggest tax increase in Connecticut history.

He actually increased the size f Connecticut state government.

He passed anti-small business health care mandates (the only one in the country).

He gave state unions a four year moratorium on any layoffs.

The Democratic legislature passed energy policies that made Connecticut uncompetitive with other states including the highest gas tax in America.

In 2008 they passed global warming rules that don't affect global warming and handcuff Connecticut businesses.

I mean, really, this stuff is insane. It is the most active anti-business agenda in the country. It has placed Connecticut last in the country in job creation. Companies are sprinting towards the border. Even the head of United Technologies has said the business climate is better anywhere but Connecticut. When UT talks, these idiots should listen.

These are the reason Hartford's vacancy rate is going up and not coming down. And it won't come down until these issues are addressed. I'm not saying there are no successes. But the trend is awful. The state needs to wake up or Hartford will turn into a ghost town and the rest of the state will follow.

i'm cerainly not defending Republicans, and Rell was certainly not great by any means, but I doubt she would have pounded us with these many taxes the way Malloy has. Things where certainly a lot better under Rowland than Malloy or Rell. Voice of reason unless we keep taxes low and the State employess compensation in check we will continue to run huge budget shortfalls.. The governor already has already started complaining about shortfalls already, and this was after the biggest tax increase in the state's history was passed. i guess we need more taxes? where will it end?

[The Voice of Reason]

FYI

The CEO of UTC whom you quoted before was actually Greg Hayes, the CFO, and that very same person was at a forum on the subject at UHart later on and was put face to face with Malloy. While he correctly framed his statement as most states are high cost and not competitive he ultimately praised Connecticuts workers ability to perform high end manufacturing like the businesses UTC is in. Also he said while CT has a long way to go, Malloy has been a lot more business friendly than past governors, and its a breath of fresh air.

all that is of course paraphrased but pretty accurate if memory serves.... google it

So, the the money guy at the biggest company (employer) in CT thinks things are getting better and that the Gov is more business friendly....

since he holds 14,000 high paying CT jobs in is hands, does your opinion matter? does mine matter? NOPE, but his does

[drc72]

FYI

The CEO of UTC whom you quoted before was actually Greg Hayes, the CFO, and that very same person was at a forum on the subject at UHart later on and was put face to face with Malloy. While he correctly framed his statement as most states are high cost and not competitive he ultimately praised Connecticuts workers ability to perform high end manufacturing like the businesses UTC is in. Also he said while CT has a long way to go, Malloy has been a lot more business friendly than past governors, and its a breath of fresh air.

all that is of course paraphrased but pretty accurate if memory serves.... google it

So, the the money guy at the biggest company (employer) in CT thinks things are getting better and that the Gov is more business friendly....

since he holds 14,000 high paying CT jobs in is hands, does your opinion matter? does mine matter? NOPE, but his does

i tried googling what you said, but all i am finding is complaints about taxes from UTC. Sorry but I have a hard time believing the CFO said this considering he was complaining about taxes earlier. Anyhow if UTC really wanted to stay here, they would have not tried to close Cheshire. I actually found a few Aetna articles complaining about taxes, and several other companies as well. I also found a blog with a bunch of small business complaining. Kinda of sad when there's more complaints then kudos, but please continue to for the one party rule. It's doing wonders for are state.

[The Voice of Reason]

DUDE!!!

get over it, you are living in your own bubble here. Malloy is a moderate democrat, yet you act like he is and extreme liberal.

http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/ctnj.php/archives/entry/malloy_utc_executive_find_common_ground/