Rep. Candelora Warns State Must Address Growing $750 Million Deficit

Rep. Candelora Warns State Must Address Growing $750 Million Deficit Supports 3 Month Deficit Patch to Carry State Budget through the Spring

Representative Vincent Candelora voted today to close the state’s budget deficit without raising taxes or cutting aide to towns and cities, but says today’s vote as only a first step. He warned the legislature must close the growing $750 million hole that starts with the state’s July 1st budget. Click here to see video of his remarks from the House floor prior to the vote. The deficit mitigation plan was agreed upon by Republicans, Democrats and Governor Rell and passed today in the General Assembly. For the past two years Rep. Candelora and his Republican colleagues in the House championed closing ballooning deficits without raising taxes or cutting aide to towns and cities. The plan passed today plugs a $350 million hole in the annual state budget which began July 2009 and will end this June 2010. “In the last budget and deficit mitigation plans, the legislature plucked off all of the low hanging fruit. This plan squeezes the last drop out of the fruit. We need to begin tomorrow to make the tough cuts and find government efficiencies,” Rep. Candelora said after the vote. The current state budget, with the $350 million deficit, was adopted last September without any Republican votes. For the last 8 months, state operated with a growing deficit due largely to the inaction of the legislature. With record unemployment and with both families and employers alike pinching pennies, Rep. Candelora expressed now is not the time to raise taxes or utility prices for families or those providing their jobs. Republicans in the House refused to consider any tax increases on income, sales, large family homes, electrical bills, hotel rooms, or hospitals to cover the deficit. Recently in the Revenue, Bonding, and Finance Committee, which Rep. Candelora sits on, Democrats approved a $500 million tax increase for the coming years. In the Appropriations Committee, Democrats voted for a $373 million spending increase in plus recently voted to spend millions more in pet projects. Rep. Candelora, along with his Republicans in the House, continues to remain opposed to these spending and tax increase proposals. “Again, this deficit mitigation plan is just the beginning. The $750 million budget hole will only grow with legislative inaction. We can tackle the deficit but we must act now,” said Rep. Candelora.