Shelton Reps. Perillo, McGorty Oppose 'Flawed Fix' To State Deficict

SHELTON, Conn. – During a special session of the General Assembly called Tuesday to address Connecticut’s widening budget deficit, state Reps. Jason Perillo and Ben McGorty opposed a Democrat plan that was approved, calling it "little more than a Ban-Aid on a massive wound."

State Rep. Jason Perillo of Shelton comments on the deficit mitigation plan from Connecticut's legislative Democrats.

Photo Credit: CTHouseRepublicans

Daily Voice

12/10/2015 5:00 a.m.

Perillo (R-Shelton) and McGorty (Shelton, Stratford and Trumbull) said the legislature is unable to come to terms with worsening economic conditions in the state, or the role high taxes and a punitive business environment have played.

“No matter how many tax hikes this legislature and governor approve, we are continually finding ourselves facing new budget deficits, and that’s no surprise to me,” said Perillo. “I’m pleased that there were some moderate rollbacks on the massive tax hikes to businesses and to our hospitals that were passed in June. But frankly, this mitigation plan takes no definitive structural action to stem the dire situation the state finds itself in overall. I can’t support a measure that fails to do that.”

McGorty agreed. “I had hoped we would be able to vote on a budget mitigation package that would make long-term structural adjustments to a system of budgeting that has obviously failed us time and time again,” he said.

“Massive and punishing tax increases have not righted our economic ship, and we have seen budget deficit after budget deficit. What was acted on during this session simply kicks the can down the road, and set the table for future deficits.”

According to the Connecticut Mirror, the House and Senate approved a plan to close the gap in the biennial budget, which was just adopted last June. The deficit is this fiscal year’s general fund is $252 million, the Mirror said. The plan that was passed identifies about $350 million in savings — enough not only to restore balance to the budget, but also to fund several other initiatives, the Mirror said.

Perillo and McGorty said that Republicans in October put forward a budget proposal in an effort to close the current budget deficit that was aimed at addressing the state’s long-term structural budgetary issues.

Some of the key points included lowering the state debt by limiting the amount Connecticut can borrow, identifying and addressing inefficiencies in state government, protecting transportation funding, better management of the state’s pension system, and modest labor modifications, both said.

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