Rep. Miner votes against budget that would increase taxes by $3.3 billion

HARTFORD- On Thursday, April 2, State Rep. Craig Miner, R-66, voted against a proposed state spending plan that would require $3.3 billion in new taxes over the biennium. The Legislature’s Appropriations Committee approved a spending plan that is fiscally unsound and would worsen the state’s fiscal condition during the recession, said Rep. Miner, who serves as the committee’s Ranking Member (House Republican Leader).

Rather than consolidate government agencies to reduce costs, the budget package that now goes before the full Legislature would establish:

• New spending totaling $55 million;
• Tax increases on businesses through new corporate surcharges;
• A 20-percent income tax hike starting at $132,500 and tax hikes on higher brackets;
• A broadening of the state sales tax;
• Phasing out of property tax credits for middle income families
• Reduced state aid to municipalities

The tax increases needed to sustain the budget would be the largest in Connecticut history. Provisions employing one time revenues from the Federal Stimulus Package and Rainy Day Fund would build enormous holes in the state’s future budgets, already predicted to be in deficit by $3 billion to $4 billion per year in budgets for both Fiscal Years ‘12 and ‘13.

“One item that truly concerns me in that this package would authorize borrowing money for the current Fiscal Year ’09 budget, which does nothing to address an existing spending rate that exceeds our revenue,” said Rep. Miner. “It has been clear to me that the majority party has no intent of rolling up its sleeves to do the work necessary to make responsible cuts in the state’s $18.5 billion budget.”

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