To the Editor:
Our Democratic Legislature in Hartford has become a mirror image of California. What is being pushed by our Democratic Legislature in Hartford is a Socialist Democratic political movement. It is based upon the belief in equity through government control. Our legislature has and continues to focus on disparities in income redistribution. All current bills being passed capitalized on oversight by the State. For example, the Housing Bill focuses on directing resources through democratic government regulations to assert state control over municipalities. It is surprising that CBIA and the Chambers of Commerce have not raised this as an issue. This is a step towards statewide zoning. The legislature seeks to control low-income housing with social ownership through democratic planning. Where capitalism rewards individual effort and innovation, our legislature implements Social Democracy to force social reform by supporting democratic governance, civil liberties, welfare, and control. They would if they could have already instituted universal healthcare and hundreds of social programs formulated to keep the lower one third of the population in the State dependent on government.
All that really is being accomplished in Hartford are bills in favor of equity for underprivileged groups, childcare, healthcare, illegal undocumented immigrants, and state workers compensation. What we see before our own eyes is a political movement and ideology that aims to achieve socialism through gradual and democratic means. They believe their role is to regulate our economy. They promote social welfare programs, progressive taxation, and regulations.
For the tenth year in a row, Connecticut is ranked as 47th in the nation with one of the most burdensome taxes climates in the nation. “According to the Yankee Institute Connecticut paid more taxes than the District of Columbia, New Jersey, California, and New York. We have a graduated income tax which ranges from 2.00% to 6.99%; a corporate tax of 7.5%; a sales tax of 6.35% and Connecticut has a 1.78 % tax tacked onto our local property taxes leaving us with the third highest property taxes in the nation. Each Connecticut worker works until May 9th every year before they begin to earn income after paying taxes to the State and municipal government. For the Democrats this is not enough! Despite the presence of fiscal guidelines, expenditure continues to exceed state revenue. They have not accomplished much to help homeowners and taxpayers who pay most of the bills. We can list all that is wrong in Connecticut from Sanctuary State status, illegal immigration, a poor highway system, housing regulation which has driven house prices through the roof, higher cost of education, higher health costs (unless you are in the lower one third of the population), multiple lawsuits (40) against the Federal Government (most frivolous) . etc., etc. Although gas prices have fallen dramatically in other states Connecticut has the sixth highest gas prices in the nation. Furthermore, the Democrats idea of helping the homeless is another bill allowing them to put up tent cities on state property and in our parks for humane reasons. It is an election year. Under the goodness of his heart Governor Lamont stated homeowners will receive a $350 dollar tax rebate. Why do taxpayers keep electing these people? For those who actually pay taxes there is something wrong with this picture. We desperately need change in Hartford. If you are a Republican it is time to come out the shadows and VOTE!
William R. Bellotti
Middlebury, CT
Bellotti served as Deputy Labor Commissioner under Gov. John Rowland