“State DOT officials have told me work is beginning on the first phase of this project this week. This part of the project involves building the foundations that will support the new bridge. The second phase of the project will involve reconstructing the bridge and the approaches,” said Senator Debicella, R-21st District.

“Replacing the Moses Wheeler Bridge with a new state of the art structure has been one of my top priorities for several years. I’m very pleased that the foundation work on the new bridge is underway and on schedule. I will continue to carefully monitor progress on the new bridge as work continues to make sure it is completed on time and with the least amount of inconvenience to Ferry Boulevard residents who live near the construction site,” Representative Harkins said.

“Ensuring the safety of our motorists is the top priority, and we need to ensure that the Moses Wheeler Bridge meets all safety standards,” Senator Debicella said. “But at the same time we want to make sure construction is not disruptive to families in the Ferry Boulevard area of Stratford next to the bridge.”

Representative Harkins and Senator Debicella voted in favor of the 2007 state bond package, which included initial funding for the Moses Wheeler Bridge project. In January, the State Bond Commission released $20 million to help finance construction of the foundations for the new bridge. The two legislators also hosted a town meeting in Stratford in 2007 on the plans, and worked with the DOT to ensure that neighborhood concerns were taken into account as much as possible.

“The Moses Wheeler Bridge is one of the longest and most heavily traveled bridges in the state. It has served us well for more than 50 years, but this bridge has been in disrepair for a long time now and replacing it is the only sensible and responsible option,” Senator Debicella said.

DOT officials expect the first phase of the project to be finished by September 2011. If all goes as planned, construction on the new bridge should be completed by 2015, the legislators said.

“It has been my pleasure to work with my legislative colleagues and with veterans from around the state to craft legislation that responds to the needs and concerns of the men and women who have made tremendous sacrifices to protect and defend our country and our way of life. While nothing we do can repay the debt we owe them for their service to our country, I take pride in the measures our committee has developed over the years to benefit and support our veterans. It’s our way of saying thanks to them for a job well done,” Representative Harkins said.

Representative Harkins cosponsored and supported several bills that originated in the Veterans Affairs Committee, including:

• Senate Bill 846 (Public Act 09-176) an act concerning the disabled veterans’ property tax exemption, which streamlines the process for disabled veterans to secure their local property tax exemptions.
• House Bill 6394 (Public Act 09-163) an act concerning the military family relief fund, which expands eligibility for assistance from the Military Family Relief Fund to an eligible member of the armed forces who is not on active duty.
• House Bill No. 5138 (Public Act 09-5), an act concerning the placement of U. S. flags on the graves of veterans, which extends the time American flags placed on veterans’ graves can be displayed. Under the new law, flags now can be flown from the Saturday before Memorial Day until the Monday after the 4th of July.

“Democrat legislators have dug in their heels and refused to make the prudent and responsible reductions in state spending that are needed to deal with the state’s $8 billion deficit. Instead of following the example set by families throughout Connecticut, who have cut back their spending and learned to live with less, they have approved several major new spending proposals, which they would pay for by raising our taxes by $1.5 billion, “ Representative Harkins said.

“Their budget also would borrow nearly $1 billion for the 2009 fiscal year and $1.3 billion for the next two; take $1.4 billion from the Rainy Day Fund, and use a one-time infusion of $1.5 billion in federal stimulus funds to fill gaps in the state budget over the next two years. “When that money dries up, and revenues continue to shrink, their response will be another round of crippling tax increases – you can count on it,” Representative Harkins said.

“Republican legislators have offered three alternative budget proposals that have shown we can eliminate the budget deficit and maintain state aid to municipalities and local school districts at current levels without raising taxes. Governor Rell last week made significant compromises to resolve the budget impasse, but received no corresponding concessions from the Democrats in return,” Representative Harkins said.

“Legislative Democrats have refused to make meaningful spending reductions throughout the budget standoff and the proposal they dropped in our laps today was no exception. I did not want to be associated with a budget that would impose major tax hikes during a recession, deepen and prolong the economic hard times and create more unemployment and that is why I voted against their proposal. Instead, I supported our alternative no tax increase budget, which would put us back on the road to economic recovery and restore the jobs that have been lost over the past year and a half ,” Representative Harkins said.

Governor Rell signs into law several measures of importance to Stratford veterans, including a bill cosponsored by Representative Harkins (center) that streamlines the process for disabled veterans to access and retain their local property tax exemptions, in a ceremony August 5th at Major Raoul Lufbery VFW Post 591 in Wallingford. The bill Representative Harkins cosponsored eliminates a requirement that disabled veterans provide proof of disability every year to their local assessors’ offices to retain their property tax exemptions.
Under the new law (Public Act 09-176) disabled veterans will only need to file the documents when they make their initial application for the benefit. No subsequent filing attesting to their disabilities would be needed unless the U. S. Veterans’ Administration changes the veteran’s disability rating, said Representative Harkins, the House Republican Leader on the state legislature’s Veterans Affairs Committee.

“This new law makes the application procedure disabled veterans have to follow to obtain their local property tax exemption less cumbersome and more efficient for both veterans and local assessors,” Representative Harkins said. “It cuts through government red tape by enabling disabled veterans who qualify for the property tax exemption to file their paperwork on a one-time basis with their local assessor’s office so they won’t have to come back year after year to renew it.”

Governor Rell proposed the bill after the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs changed its computer system last year and notified the state’s 22,000 disabled veterans it would stop mailing out annual forms that verified their disability ratings, raising concerns that disabled veterans could lose their benefits.

Other veterans’ bills the Governor signed at the ceremony include:

• House Bill 6394 (Public Act 09-163), An Act Concerning the Military Family Relief Fund, which expands eligibility for state assistance to an eligible member of the armed forces who is not currently on active duty. The Military Family Relief Fund is used by the state Military Department to make grants to pay for essential personal or household needs if a family member’s military service has created a financial hardship for the family.
• House Bill 5664 (Public Act 09-90), An Act Concerning the Award of Ribbons and Medals, which clarifies that wartime veterans living in Connecticut when they were called to active duty and who died on or after January 1, 2000, will be awarded ribbons and medals by the state.
• Senate Bill 1063 (Public Act 09-117), An Act Concerning Eligibility for Benefits for Veterans in Service in Time of War, which defines wartime service to mean 90 or more cumulative days, not 90 consecutive days as in the previous law. The bill also expands the pool of those eligible for war service benefits by changing the dates of Operation Will (escort of Kuwaiti oil tankers flying U.S. flags) from February 1 1987 to July 23, 1987

The lawmakers visited the Scott family’s business to hear first-hand Connecticut employers’ concerns about the ongoing budget negotiations in Hartford. After touring the facility, the legislators warned that proposed business tax increases will cause further job losses in Connecticut if they become law as part of a possible budget agreement.

“The message we received at today’s roundtable could not have been clearer: Air Handling Systems and other Connecticut companies are struggling just to hang on in today’s stagnant economy. Anything that adds significantly to the cost of doing business in our state – such as the 15 percent increase in the surcharge on corporate profits being pushed by the state legislature’s majority Democrats – will almost certainly lead to more business closings and job losses in the months ahead. It is a mortal threat to Connecticut’s economic future and it is one of the main reasons I will never sign on to a state budget that would raise taxes on employers, families and individuals,” Representative Harkins said.

“Mr. Scott’s story of the sacrifices that Air Handling Systems and its employees have had to make in these challenging economic times is all too familiar- and paints a clear picture as to what is at stake in this year’s budget negotiations,” Representative Miller said. “Connecticut has lost far too many jobs, and to propose raising taxes on the very same people who provide a source of income for millions of Connecticut families is truly dangerous. Taxing productive and profitable employers will result in further layoffs at a time when too many of our friends and neighbors are looking for work.”

Mr. Scott told the legislators of the hardships his family’s business has been forced to endure in recent months. In addition to layoffs, Air Handling Systems has had to reduce working hours for its remaining employees as a result of a slow economy and poor state business climate.

The Democratic majority in Hartford has proposed $1.8 billion in tax increases for the FY 2009-2010 budget, much of which fall on employers and investors. The tax increases on job creators comes as 7000 Connecticut businesses have closed from January through June of 2009.

Representative Harkins pointed to the collateral damage caused by rising unemployment. Connecticut residents are losing their homes at an alarming rate, with over 12,000 foreclosure starts to date in 2009 alone. Additionally, personal bankruptcy filings have skyrocketed - up 49 percent in the second quarter of this year from the same period in 2008.

“Connecticut families cannot afford the $500 - $700 in increased taxes proposed by the Democratic majority,” Senator Debicella said. “We have a better way– we have proposed moderate cuts to return to 2007 levels of spending for programs to balance our budget. Government must be like our families and live within its means.”

Senator Debicella, the Senate Republican leader on the General Assembly’s budget-writing Appropriations Committee, pointed out that Connecticut has ranked dead last among all 50 states for job growth since 1991. He cautioned that passing a budget that targets employers for tax increases risks adding to the 110,000 jobs the University of Connecticut estimates the state will have lost by the end of the current recession.

“Mr. Rodriguez’ business and management background has contributed significantly to the commission’s work, helping the panel develop strategies to encourage Puerto Ricans and other Latinos to start businesses of their own and to enter the private sector workforce,” Representative Harkins said. “Mr. Rodriguez is active in community activities in Stratford and his company plays an important role in keeping Stratford’s economy strong. I was pleased to recommend him to Representative Cafero for reappointment to the commission.”

“It’s always an honor for me to represent the Latino and Puerto Rican community both in Stratford and Greater Bridgeport, and in Fairfield County - we need more representation on the commission,” Mr. Rodriguez said. “It’s humbling to me that representatives Harkins and Cafero had the confidence in me to support my reappointment. The commission’s work is important and it’s critical that we have small businesspeople on it.”

“I hope that your service in this position will be challenging and satisfying. I know that the talent and expertise you bring to it will be of great value and service to our state and its citizens. On behalf of the people of Connecticut, please accept my thanks for your willingness to accept the challenge of public service and my congratulations on your reappointment to this important post,” Representative Cafero, R-Norwalk, said in a letter to Mr. Rodriguez informing him of his appointment to the panel.

The 13-member commission reviews and comments on proposed state legislation affecting state Latino and Puerto Rican populations; encourages their representation in state government, including on state boards and commissions; secures appropriate recognition of their accomplishments and contributions; advises and provides the governor with information on state policies concerning their communities; advises the governor on the coordination and administration of state programs serving them; maintains a liaison between their communities and governmental entities; and prepares and submits an annual report to the governor regarding the commission’s activities and any appropriate recommendations regarding them, Representative Harkins said.

The DOE recently awarded nearly $800,000 in grants to more than 50 public and private schools with federal funding obtained under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). 

“With the recession putting the squeeze on municipalities and local school districts throughout Connecticut, most boards of education, including Stratford’s, are having to make do with less. At a time when even small equipment purchases like this one are being put on hold to save money, this grant for the Franklin Elementary School cafeteria is especially welcome,” Representative Harkins said.

 “Quality school lunch programs are an integral part of an effective learning environment,” said Senator Debicella, R-21^st District.  “This program has allowed Franklin Elementary and other schools across Connecticut to purchase needed equipment for their cafeterias without imposing tax increases on local property owners.”

For more information on ARRA programs in Connecticut, visit the state’s stimulus Web site at www.ct.gov and click on the CT Recovery link.

“The budget proposal being pushed by the state legislature’s supermajority Democrats is little more than a warmed over version of their earlier plan that called for a $3.3 billion tax hike over two years” said Representative Harkins, R-120th District. “There is simply no excuse for a budget that increases taxes by $2.25 billion at a time when the state is in the grip of a recession that has hung on for more than a year and shows no sign of abating. The jobless rate in Connecticut is now at 8 percent, the worst it has been in years; employers are continuing to cut back, lay off workers and close their doors forever. The massive tax increases legislative Democrats support are a blueprint for a longer recession and more job losses. That’s why I voted to reject their budget and to support the Republican alternative budget that does not raise taxes, is balanced and preserves all municipal aid including funding for schools and public libraries.”

“Over the past 20 years, state budgets have been increasing at a rate that has impacted our employment base, causing job losses and straining our citizens’ ability to provide for their families. The Democrat supermajority is now giving the state the highest tax increase in history at a time we are reeling from the worst financial crisis since the Depression,” said Representative Miller, R-122nd District.
“I voted against this budget because it would have raised taxes by $500 to $1,000 for every middle-class family in Connecticut,” said Senator Debicella, R-21st District, the leading Republican Senator on the Appropriations Committee. “State government has to do the same thing our families are doing- tightening our belts through moderate reductions in spending. I support Governor Rell’s approach of reducing spending on programs by 5-10%. While neither choice is ideal, I believe most families would rather have moderate across-the-board reductions than higher taxes.”

The Stratford legislators noted that the Democrat majority’s budget calls for: a 25 % surcharge on businesses, increasing taxes on cigarettes by 75 cents per pack; an additional 25% surcharge on the estate tax; increased income taxes; and raising a variety of other fees and taxes that will make living and working in Connecticut more expensive for everyone.

Representatives Harkins and Miller, and Senator Debicella noted that most of the spending cuts included in the Democrat majority’s budget are due to savings realized by state employee concessions and the state employee retirement incentive plan negotiated by Governor M. Jodi Rell, as well as spending cuts already made by the Governor and carried forward into the new budget. “There are very few real spending cuts here beyond what we have already achieved,” Senator Debicella said.

The three legislators continue to strongly support the Republicans’ alternative proposal, unveiled earlier this year, which avoids massive tax increases through moderate spending reductions, merging state agencies, and moving some social services to non-profit community providers. The Republicans’ proposal contains no tax increases and maintains all funding for education and town grants. Many aspects of the Republican legislators’ ideas are incorporated in Governor Rell’s recently updated budget proposal.

“Other questions on my survey include abolishing the death penalty, tax incentives to stimulate business growth and create jobs, the redevelopment of the old Raybestos softball field, the future of Sikorsky Airport, and eliminating the law that provides taxpayer dollars to fund election campaigns and using funds earmarked for the program to mitigate the deficit,” Rep. Harkins said.