New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Rivals seek backing from retired teachers
SOUTHINGTON — Appearing before about 200 retired teachers exactly three weeks before Election Day, Gov. Ned Lamont and Republican challenger Bob Stefanowski vowed to protect their pension benefits and drive down their health care costs.
The luncheon at the picturesque Aqua Turf Club Tuesday hosted by the Association of Retired Teachers of Connecticut served as a job interview for Stefanowski and a performance review for Lamont in their 2022 rematch for governor. The association has about 5,000 members and advocates for the state’s 37,000 retired teachers.
Stefanowski, who addressed the crowd first, expressed interest in excluding teachers’ pensions form the state’s personal income tax. Association officials said many retired teachers in Connecticut have chosen to move to other states such as Florida, which don’t tax retirement income.
“In today’s economy with inflation at 40-year highs, people are struggling to get along anyway, and to throw a tax on that is unconscionable,” he said.
“Second of all, if people are leaving for that reason, we should get rid of it. We should release the income threshold and let everyone be untaxed.” Stefanowski did not say how he would pay for his proposal but emphasized his administration, if elected, would look at savings that could be achieved through cuts in the state budget and reigning in spending. He has also called for using more of the state’s budget surplus to provide relief to residents.
“I know it’s going be a lot harder to be governor than I think,” he said.
He also voiced support for increasing teacher salaries to help address staffing shortages, which have particularly plagued urban school districts. “I’m a free market guy,” he said. “If there’s not enough people applying to be a teacher, then wages are certainly part of that.”
The former corporate executive from Madison attributed his success to being a product of Connecticut public schools. “I get criticized, you know, this rich white guy from Madison is running for governor. I’m not embarrassed about that. I’m actually proud of that,” he said. “I didn’t inherit a ton of money. I didn’t grow up in a massive house. My parents knew enough about education, they gave it to me, and the reason I’m running for governor is everybody should have that chance.”
Lamont, who appeared on stage after Stefanowski, said as an incumbent governor he does not have the luxury of making empty promises. “I’m your governor. I just can’t make idle promises. Candidates make idle promises. I keep the word as best I can and I think we kept our word to you over the last four years.”
He highlighted his administration’s use of budget surplus funds to make historic payments to pay down the state’s pension debt including a nearly $1 billion payment to the Teachers’ Retirement Fund. The governor pointed to his efforts to turn around the state’s fiscal position after years of deficits, and said his fiscal restraint has helped produce budget surpluses for the state.
“Isn’t it great we’re actually talking about what to do with the surplus? ... We had a $4.5 billion surplus in this last fiscal year. You know where almost all of it went? To pay down your
pensions. To make sure the money was there for you. The other guy is saying ‘We’ll pay it down later, not now.’ Not on my watch. We’ve made our commitments to you.”
Lamont said he would work to ensure the state’s contribution to retired teachers’ health insurance premiums is applied equally to both health insurance plans available. The supplement plan available to retired teachers is nine times the cost of the advantage plan, forcing many retirees out of their preferred choice of the traditional Medicare plan, according to the association.
The governor said he would work with state and federal officials to lower prescription drug prices and provide incentives to patients who get treatment at hospitals which charge less for various service but still provide high quality care to help address the high cost of health care.
The governor chose not to interact with Stefanowski during the event, arriving after Stefanowski was outside the building and choosing to enter through a back entrance. Asked if he was avoiding his Republican challenger, Lamont said: “I don’t know. More peaceful going in the back door.”