The Connecticut GOP must not read the newspaper … any of them.  Tonight’s statement from Executive Director Elissa Voccola gets it wrong on the economy, so the Connecticut Democratic Party wanted to share some reading material:

Litchfield County Times Editorial Headline: “Connecticut Economy Shows Signs Of Recovery.” In August 2013, the Litchfield County Times wrote in an editorial, “Connecticut will end the 2013 fiscal year with a $312.1 million budget surplus, state Comptroller Kevin Lembo announced recently. It’s a significant turnaround from where the state found itself last year thanks to some big, one-time estate tax revenue windfalls and cutting state spending from an average annual growth rate down from 7.3 percent to 1.3 percent. More significant, though, are some small signs that the state’s economy is turning around. Home sales are starting to pick up, and average sales prices are creeping upward.” [Litchfield County Times Editorial, 8/8/13]

New Haven Register Editorial Headline: “Connecticut Economy Shows Signs Of Recovery.” In August 2013, the New Haven Register wrote in an editorial, “Connecticut will end the 2013 fiscal year with a $312.1 million budget surplus, state Comptroller Kevin Lembo announced recently. It’s a significant turnaround from where the state found itself last year thanks to some big, one-time estate tax revenue windfalls and cutting state spending from an average annual growth rate down from 7.3 percent to 1.3 percent. More significant, though, are some small signs that the state’s economy is turning around. Home sales are starting to pick up, and average sales prices are creeping upward.” [New Haven Register Editorial, 8/2/13]

Hartford Courant Editorial Headline: “The State Is Digging Out Of Its Hole.” In August 2013, the Hartford Courant wrote in an editorial, “But Connecticut taxpayers got some much-needed good news in Comptroller Kevin Lembo’s announcement this week that the state ended the fiscal year with a surplus of $312 million. The surplus could go even higher, to nearly $360 million. As Mr. Lembo pointed out, some of the windfall is the result of one-hit wonders such as higher-than-expected revenue from the estate tax. Those happy accidents can’t be counted on to continue. But Gov. Dannel Malloy, a Democrat, deserves credit for his efforts to hold the line on the budget, too. The growth of the budget of this past fiscal year was a miserly 1.3 percent compared to the year before, a true accomplishment. That compares with a budget increase average of 7.3 percent in the years leading up to the recession under Republican governors in league with Democratic legislatures.” [Hartford Courant Editorial, 8/1/13]

Manchester Journal Inquirer Editorial Questioned Whether “20 Years Of Republican Rule” – And Not Malloy – Caused Connecticut’s Economic Challenges. In September 2013, the Manchester Journal Inquirer wrote in an editorial, “A recent survey by the Connecticut Policy Institute, founded by the Republican candidate for governor three years ago, Tom Foley, claimed that Connecticut’s economy compares badly with other states in virtually every respect. […] The implications are that Connecticut’s poor standing is the fault of the state’s current Democratic administration and that a Republican governor would make Connecticut more competitive. But there is a problem with this implication. Connecticut had Republican governors, John G. Rowland and M. Jodi Rell, from 1995 to 2011 — 16 years — and former U.S. Sen. Lowell P. Weicker Jr., running as an independent, was governor for the four years before that. That is, Connecticut went 20 years without a Democratic governor until Dannel P. Malloy was elected in 2010, defeating Foley. So a more interesting survey might try to gauge movement in Connecticut’s standing during that 20-year period. Yes, the General Assembly was largely controlled by Democrats then, but the legislature never ran roughshod over Govs. Weicker, Rowland, and Rell. Foley, if asked, may try to shift the blame to the Democratic legislature. But he will find it difficult to explain away 20 years of Republican rule.” [Manchester Journal Inquirer Editorial, 9/5/13]

Hartford Courant Editorial: Malloy Kept State Spending Growth At A “Miserly” Percentage, A “True Accomplishment,” Especially Compared To Figures Under Governor Rowland. In August 2013, the Hartford Courant wrote in an editorial, ” But Gov. Dannel Malloy, a Democrat, deserves credit for his efforts to hold the line on the budget, too. The growth of the budget of this past fiscal year was a miserly 1.3 percent compared to the year before, a true accomplishment. That compares with a budget increase average of 7.3 percent in the years leading up to the recession under Republican governors in league with Democratic legislatures. One of those governors, John G. Rowland, had boasted back in 2002, ‘I’m the firewall,’ and ‘If you had a liberal Democratic governor and a Democratic legislature, there’d be no discipline, no restraint whatsoever’ in state spending. But spending went up 4.8 percent during Mr. Rowland’s tenure. Some of the surplus money will go to the nearly depleted rainy day fund, which will total $212 million with the new contribution. Comptroller Lembo says the fund should really be closer to $2 billion. The state has a long way to go. Progress like this, nevertheless, is welcome.” [Hartford Courant Editorial, 8/1/13]

Hartford Courant Editorial: “Much Of The” Improvement In Connecticut State Employee Pension Funds “Can Be Attributed To Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s Policy Of Increasing Annual Contributions To The Funds To Reduce Unfunded Liabilities.” From a July 2013 Hartford Courant Editorial, ” Connecticut taxpayers and beneficiaries of public pension funds got welcome news this past week. Wall Street was kind to beleaguered public employee pension funds managed by the state. The funds earned a robust average of nearly 11.5 percent on their investments this fiscal year, according to state Treasurer Denise L. Nappier. Much of the gain in market value can be attributed to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s policy of increasing annual contributions to the funds to reduce unfunded liabilities. The employee retirement program has been irresponsibly underfunded by past governors and legislatures, Democrats and Republicans alike. The turnaround engineered by Mr. Malloy couldn’t come at a more advantageous time.” [Hartford Courant Editorial, 7/26/13]

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