Rep Zupkus: Democrats back taxpayers into a corner

The state is now entering more than forty-five days without a budget in place, which has given the governor the ability to run the state’s finances without the legislature’s approval, and he has taken this opportunity to pursue his reckless budget agenda.

If we go any longer without a budget in place, our hard working middle-class communities will suffer the brunt of the governor’s cuts. But, sadly, there is no urgency from the House and Senate Democrat leaders to take over the budget reins from the governor, and the calls from Republicans to do so are being ignored.

Since January, Republicans have been willing to negotiate with Democrat leaders and have met with them over and over again to find common ground on a budget proposal. We have produced details of four no-tax-increase budget proposals, but still have not seen one completed budget document from the House or Senate Democrat Caucuses. When we ask to see their line-by-line budget, they ask us to exchange more ideas with them, which provides them more time and cover to avoid making difficult decisions.

It has been impossible to negotiate with Democrat leaders when they don’t have a final product and no concrete starting point with documentation. As of now, all we know about the House Democrat budget is that it aims to increase the sales tax from 6.35 percent to 6.99 percent.

From day one we have been honest and upfront that we would not support a final budget that includes tax increases. However, they are still wasting everyone’s time trying to convince us and even their own members to support a tax increase. If anything was non-negotiable, it was tax hikes.

Instead, we should have been working together to implement real structural changes to the way government operates. We could have taken this opportunity by rejecting the union package brokered by the governor and union bosses. By supporting the SEBAC package, the Democrats chose to put the needs of 45,000 people over those of 3.4 million.

Democrats have once again backed themselves and taxpayers into a corner, and continue to demonstrate their inability to lead. Our colleagues from the other side of the aisle need to start putting taxpayers first and work with us on a no-tax-increase budget proposal, which is the only way to create a true stable future for Connecticut.

State Rep. Lezlye Zupkus