Last week, the governor vetoed the Republican budget because it was clearly not the answer to Connecticut’s fiscal challenges. The GOP budget would have:

• Raised taxes on working families through ending the cap on car taxes and cutting the Earned Income Tax Credit
• Significantly cut aid to UConn and our state colleges and universities, forcing campuses to close and raising tuition for college students
• Ended the Clean Elections Program, opening the door for big money to get into our elections
• Cut workforce development programs at the state Department of Labor making it harder for businesses to find the workforce they need to thrive
• Relied on unrealistic savings based on underfunding our pension system – the type of irresponsible decision that created our current fiscal challenges.

It is critical that we work together and compromise with the governor and Republicans to reach a bipartisan agreement on a final budget in short order that can become law. We believe a proper budget solution must:

• Invest in our workforce and small businesses to grow our economy
• Streamline state services and make long-term structural changes to bring greater budget stability
• Provide municipalities with additional budget flexibility and move in the direction of regionalizing services to offer more efficient services
• Protect the services our communities rely on, including services for our seniors, our children in crisis, and individuals with disabilities
• Develop a program to help homeowners with crumbling foundations
• Create a new relationship with our urban centers to ensure proper oversight and economic investment

If you agree with these principles, please show your support by adding your name below!