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General Assembly should implement the state spending cap
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Written by Republican Candidate for CT 143rd & Wilton Board of Finance member Gail Lavielle
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as printed in The Hour
© Copyright 2010 The Hour Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
Posted On February 26, 2010
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The role of government has become a pressing issue for many Connecticut citizens. But you don't have to look to Washington to find reasons for concern. Right here in Connecticut we have our own glaring example of government's failure to respond to a vote by 80 percent of the state's population. This isn't new. It isn't even recent. It's been going on for the past 18 years.
I'm referring to the General Assembly's long-standing failure to implement the state spending cap described in Amendment XXVIII of Connecticut's Constitution. An overwhelming majority of voters ratified this amendment in 1992. To become effective, however, it needs a General Assembly vote on a definition of terms. This has never happened.
That's right. Connecticut has a constitutional amendment that its voters have ratified and the legislature has ignored for 18 years. Taxpayers don't have a protection they voted to enforce.
The cap is meant to keep state government from spending more money than it collects. For almost two decades, not having a constitutional spending cap has led to lack of clear budgetary policy. This has left plenty of room for spending decisions that do not rest on firm constitutional ground --decisions that raise taxes to meet government spending levels, instead of spending only what people and businesses can afford.
Connecticut does have a statutory spending cap in place. It was instituted in 1991 as part of the legislation that introduced the state income tax. The legislature then directed that the public should vote on a constitutional amendment regarding the cap. The amendment itself stated that its enactment would require a vote by the General Assembly on the definition of three terms. Defining these terms precisely is necessary for calculating the cap. They are "increase in personal income," "increase in inflation," and "general budget expenditures."
Connecticut's voters ratified the amendment by a 4 to 1 margin. It remains unenforceable because the General Assembly has never voted on the terms. It's a lot easier to rationalize deviating from a statute than it is to stray from the clearly expressed view of the electorate, and the legislature has often exceeded the cap.
Republican legislators have tried to introduce many bills implementing the constitutional cap but have always been defeated by the majority. Now, in the current session, House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero and Reps. Themis Klarides and William Hamzy have introduced a new bill. It's time for the General Assembly to follow the democratic process and pass it.
The legislature's ongoing refusal to implement the spending cap is especially newsworthy now. Last year, during a severe financial crisis, the supermajority voted to increase spending and raise taxes. This has made Connec-ticut's financial problems worse: We already have a current deficit of more than $500 million. What further proof do we need that taxes aren't the solution? It's time to recognize Connecticut's spending problem and fix it. For starters, our legislators must respect the citizens they represent and implement the constitutional spending cap.
Gail Lavielle is the Republican Candidate for CT 143rd House seat & a Wilton Board of Finance member.
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