Residents Discuss Budget and Job Issues with State Rep. Yaccarino

The hot dogs at the cookout in front of McDonald’s on Washington Avenue sponsored by State Represenative Dave Yaccarino last night were grilled to perfection, but a few townspeople had trouble swallowing when the state budget came up for discussion.

The cookout, the latest installment in Rep. Yaccarino’s monthly meetings with constituents, came on the heels of the adoption of Gov. Malloy’s $40.1 billion budget, which is awaiting approval from Connecticut’s SEBAC unions.

The budget includes $4 billion in tax and fee increases, increases in income and sales taxes and a 20 percent corporation surcharge.

According to the legislator, the corporate surcharge will have a negative impact on job growth.

“It’s obscene,” Yaccarino said. “The surcharge and the new paid sick days policy send a why come to Connecticut message to companies. They’re already paying higher taxes and energy costs. We’re not open for business and jobs are stagnant.”

Yaccarino said Connecticut is the worst state in the country for job growth with no net gain in jobs for the past 23 years.

“Other states are lowering taxes, but Connecticut feels we should tax more and put the burden on the middle class and businesses.”

Many of the citizens at the cookout complained about jobs. Claudina Buckley expressied dismay at losing jobs to illegal immigrants. She implored Rep. Yaccarino to take action on the issue, but he hesitated, saying it’s a federal problem.

“They should come up with a citizenship plan where people pay a substantial fee to become citizens,” he said.

Yaccarino passed a sheet out at the cookout that compares the adopted state budget with the Republican alternative budget that was released in April. The Republican plan called for $36.4 billion in total spending with no tax increases and a five percent reduction in state jobs.

He nevertheless remains optimistic about state affairs.

“I have faith in the system, but we need to wake up,” he said. “I look at the budget. The governor says it’s a sacrifice but spending is up and people are afraid to say no. It’s bad for the state, but we have a good state.”