This summer, CBIA is launching the most ambitious grassroots advocacy campaign in the organization”™s history. The campaign is designed to educate Connecticut voters about the economic and fiscal issues facing the state and encourage General Assembly candidates to be committed to downsizing state government and growing Connecticut”™s economy. CBIA will be working with the state”™s chambers of commerce and a broad coalition of other business organizations and community leaders to maximize the campaign”™s reach and impact.
CBIA is making a significant commitment to this initiative because the stakes are so high. Much of our economic future depends on what priorities state legislators bring to the Capitol after the elections this fall. Connecticut clearly needs a change in policy direction and that won”™t happen unless we have forward-thinking lawmakers who come to the Capitol already committed to strengthening our economy, fostering business investment and job creation, and making fundamental changes to state government and the way it spends taxpayer dollars.
Connecticut is, in fact, at a historic turning point. The state has lost 100,000 jobs and is facing annual budget deficits of nearly $4 billion in 2012 and 2013. Clearly, given our state”™s fiscal situation, business-as-usual at the Capitol ”“ and throughout state government ”“ is no longer a viable option. Unfortunately, business-as-usual at the Capitol has often meant anti-business-as-usual: Every year a host of harmful tax, labor and other bills are raised, despite their dampening effects on jobs and the economy.
Because special interest groups have become extremely aggressive in promoting initiatives that are antagonistic to business and detrimental to Connecticut”™s economic and fiscal health, CBIA”™s statewide initiative is more critical now than ever. Consider, for example, recent efforts to establish mandatory paid time off, stop much-needed environmental regulatory reform and increase the state”™s business-taxes. The business community simply cannot let its voice be drowned out by other groups that have little understanding of or regard for the private sector”™s role in creating jobs, generating tax revenue for the state and ensuring a good quality of life for all Connecticut citizens. The time has come to organize, build a more robust statewide network of like-minded activists and pursue our agenda with determination and a strong sense of purpose.
We”™ll be working to empower voters to delve into their legislative candidates”™ records, compare their past performance with what they”™re promising, ask them probing questions and make an educated judgment about which candidates are genuinely committed to private-sector growth and public-sector fiscal restructuring. We need to engage the candidates and press them to substantiate their pledges to get our economy moving, bring jobs back or balance the budget. Those things are easier said than done, so we need to make sure our elected officials will do them, not just talk about them.
We urge all voters to pay close attention to the campaigns and to visit cbia.com and click on CBIA Election Central, a new link with important election information and updates on all the races.
Joseph F. Brennan is senior vice president of public policy at the Connecticut Business & Industry Association in Hartford.
