Restore our competitive edge

Last fall”™s special legislative session showed what can happen when Connecticut”™s policymakers set politics aside and focus on jobs and economic growth.

And while the business community was encouraged by the bipartisan actions of the governor and legislature, the key is what happens next.

As we approach the 2012 General Assembly session, it”™s critical that policymakers now work together and build on last October”™s initiatives by developing a healthy, competitive business climate.

Connecticut must show it can and will be business friendly and that policymakers and regulators are open to the concerns and interests of employers and their ideas for moving forward.

Today”™s global economy demands a sense of urgency. To compete, we need a competitive edge and that means creating a business climate where Connecticut companies can invest confidently, pursue innovation, and add new jobs.

Policymakers must make state government quicker, leaner, smarter, and more efficient. As recent budget projections underscore, the need to implement cost-saving measures to streamline our state bureaucracy is urgent.

The size and cost of state government must be kept within taxpayers”™ means by implementing efficiencies and controlling the growth of state spending. And tax policy should be leveraged to help drive economic growth, private investment, job growth, innovation, and productivity.

Year after year, Connecticut fares poorly in national surveys ranking state business climates. Some of the biggest barriers to job creation and economic growth are the high costs of doing business and the administrative burdens placed on employers.

Policymakers will restore confidence by making it easier for businesses to compete here. And that includes reforming regulatory policies, cutting red tape and promoting consistency, predictability and fairness.

Upgrading our airports, seaports, railways and highways also is vital to supporting a growing economy. Policymakers must make strategic choices to modernize our transportation infrastructures.

Gov. Dannel Malloy”™s education reform principles, which generated positive reactions from both Democrat and Republican leaders, are a sign of real progress in ensuring that every child in Connecticut has the opportunity to succeed.

The need for change has never been greater. If we”™re going to compete and grow as a state, we must raise the academic performance of all students.

These priorities ”“ making government more efficient, improving fiscal policy, reducing business costs and cutting red tape, modernizing transportation, and education reform ”“ recognize both the state”™s strengths and weaknesses.

For example, Connecticut is home to a highly skilled, highly compensated workforce, yet numerous government mandates make business costs among the highest in the country.

We live in a dynamic, global economy and we must become more competitive ”“ just as other states are working hard to make their businesses more competitive.

It”™s time to move forward and recognize that strong businesses mean plentiful jobs, a thriving economy, and more opportunities for everyone.

John R. Rathgeber is president and CEO of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association. Reach him at john.rathgeber@cbia.com.