Democrats charting course for our wallets

Well, that was fast. Less than one month into the 2021 legislative session, and I am troubled to see that talk at the Capitol has so quickly turned to new and increased taxes and more borrowing — even tolls — all of which threaten to heap heavier burdens on people and family businesses struggling through difficult times.

The legislature has barely been sworn in, and both seasoned and newly minted Democrats in that body are eyeing everything — and every Connecticut taxpayer — with one lens: “How many more times can we stick our hands in your pocket?” New Year, same old Democrats.

Many are already betting on sports betting — for more cash in the state coffers. Some want to legalize pot — because of how it will sweeten the budget pot. And if that isn’t enough, the state Senate’s top Democrat, Sen. Martin Looney, has introduced a bill for a brand-new statewide tax on commercial and personal property and he and the Democrats are sizing up how many Connecticut taxpayers they can define is as “rich” so they can hit them with higher income and capital gains taxes.

Why? Because there is a looming $2.5 billion deficit projected in the next two fiscal years that the Democrats ignored just long enough to hide their tax schemes until after Election Day. Spending cuts? Not in their playbook. Now that they have cemented their majorities in the legislature, the Democrats are coming to pick your pocket — with such alarming speed they caught their very own Gov. Ned Lamont off guard.

All of this is playing out in the shadow of a pandemic and economic instability. People are legitimately scared. They are scared for their health and their future. They are scared that their children will fall behind academically. Many people are worried that they will lose their home or their job — or both — and family businesses are struggling to keep the “Open” sign lit.

Just a few months ago, the governor had a “photo op” in front of a moving company’s van, proclaiming that he had fulfilled a campaign promise of making Connecticut so attractive that he would literally “turn around the moving trucks” that were fleeing Connecticut. Seriously? We should draw people to Connecticut because of smart economic and tax policies — not because a pandemic has driven people away from other places to settle here.

It’s not too late. The governor and the legislature need to think boldly about measures to boost our economy and sustain jobs. They need to be fiscally disciplined. Connecticut policymakers have both a spending cap and a borrowing cap to steady their hand and guide our state’s direction before they veer so far off course that they reach a place they cannot return from — and taxpayers can’t afford. Now more than ever, Connecticut’s elected representatives need to understand that these are our pockets — not theirs.

Should Connecticut authorize sports betting and legalize the recreational use of marijuana? Should tolls be used to build and maintain our transportation infrastructure? These complex issues should be researched and debated thoroughly on their merits — not on how much cash they might bring in. As for the Democrats’ statewide property tax and the new and increased tax schemes they want to saddle businesses and people with? They should never see the light of day. They will empty our pockets and send those moving trucks back out of our state.

Wake up, Connecticut, and watch your wallet. It’s early enough in the session for the legislature to correct their course, and it’s not too late to apply stability, discipline and common sense to steady a wobbly, pandemicweary economy and people.