As a young conservative “nutmegger” I suffer; although to be more technical we all suffer here in Connecticut. Between each um and ah, Gov. Dannel Malloy spews Democratic National Committee propaganda as if it was lost in translation that his job was to maybe once in a while govern the troubled state of Connecticut.
This week it was announced that Gov. Malloy, along with Govs. Andrew Cuomo and Phil Murphy, is joining a lawsuit challenging the new federal tax laws that put restrictions on state and local tax deductions. Malloy argues the new tax laws discriminate against mostly blue states that voted against President Trump. However, what has these Democrats quite obviously excited is a cut to tax deductions unearths how poor these states’ budgets and taxes are.
As it is for Connecticut, the projected deficit for this fiscal year is at $240 million. We have lost multiple companies, most famously General Electrics and Aetna, and are still straining to reach pre-recession employment levels. Connecticut’s budget has to cover almost 1,400 state-retirees with pensions over six figures. The reality is, Connecticut residents face not only high taxes, but it seems everything short of the air we breathe is taxed.
Malloy commented on the new tax laws as “Somebody has to stand up and say, ‘Not at this time. You can’t do this. It is fundamentally unfair and illegal.’”
Ironically, those are the same unheard words we all speak every time taxes are raised or a new tax is proposed. It is horrifying that restricting federal tax deductions for state and local taxes is being identified as the problem, not the insane levels of state and local taxes that need federal tax deductions.
Alex Williams lives in Woodbury.