To-Do List For Lamont

Congratulations to Democrat Ned Lamont, who became Connecticut’s next governor Wednesday morning as lagging votes came in from the state’s cities. Mr. Lamont will also enjoy a twin win in the General Assembly as the Democrats won control of the House and Senate. Now, the real work of tackling the state’s problems begins, and it’s no easy chore. The future is full of trouble.

Governor-elect Lamont, here are the first four orders of business:

1. Fix the state’s finances.

You must, as soon as possible, get in a room with the leadership of the state employee unions and the Republican and Democratic leaders of both the House and Senate.

The massive unfunded liability of the state employee pension system, which could range from $36 billion to $100 billion, depending on how you do the math, is a huge threat to the state’s finances. That’s real money that has to be paid, somehow.

2. Declare a truce.

Stop the sniping in the General Assembly. Now, with the House and Senate both under Democratic control, it might seem easy to ignore Republicans and govern as if the state were full of only

Democrats.

It’s not. You won by a whisker.

Both parties have been guilty of shutting out the other in the past, to everyone’s detriment. Convince legislators there is common ground. Listen to the Republicans. Involve them in discussions.

Not to say that politics should be free of fighting. Opposing ideas have to be aired for the best to emerge. But legislators, and the new governor, must listen to each other. The sooner you can all come to terms on a budget, the better for towns, so they know how much money is coming and can make their own budgets; for businesses, so they know what to expect as well; and for citizens, so they can stop worrying about Connecticut’s stability.

There’s no room for the angry rhetoric that has characterized so much political talk these last two years. Look for where our best interests converge and build out from there.

3. Pass laws, not statements.

The budget Republican lawmakers managed to pass last year — before it was predictably vetoed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy — was a statement budget, pushed through only so they could say “we passed a budget and the Democrats didn’t.” It was poorly conceived, miscalculated and included moves that were quite possibly illegal — specifically by cutting state pension contributions based on imagined tweaks to the state employee labor contract that wouldn’t take effect until 2027. The Republicans knew Gov. Malloy would veto it.

Nothing draws the ire of the electorate more than meaningless political stunts. Those hastily called press conferences in the Legislative Office Building that featured finger-pointing party leaders are embarrassing. Connecticut voters want progress toward real solutions. The politicking is a bore and does officials more harm than good.

4. If you can’t figure it out, ask someone who can.

In the spring, the Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth presented a thorough and sane assessment of the state’s finances. The commission was chaired by Robert Patricelli and Jim Smith, two capable business and civic leaders who pulled no punches. The commission’s report was refreshing in its honesty. It’s a shame that politicians didn’t have a clue what to do with it.

The process drew on a lot of brain power, and the report still makes sense as a plan for the future. Elected officials should take a cue: When faced with a tricky issue, hold hearings. Invite testimony from experts. Push a discussion based on the merits of the issue, not on who’s standing on which side of the aisle.

There are a lot of smart people in Connecticut who are willing to make a contribution. Not all of them are elected officials. Seek them out.

Connecticut has seen signs of a resurgence in recent months. The momentum is with us. The pieces are in place.

Mr. Governor-Elect, you have a great opportunity here. Make it work.

Readers, we invite you to submit your own list of the most important things for the new governor to tackle. Please keep it brief, unlike ours. About 200 words is our limit. Send your list to letters@courant.com.