Letter: Blankley Will Be 'Proactive' Dealing With State's Finances

Mr. Jim Campbell, chair of the Greenwich RNC, has criticized Governor Malloy and by extension John Blankley, who is running for the State Assembly, with epithets like “tax and spend Democrat.” But let’s look at the facts.

When the Governor went to Hartford, he found that the previous administration’s accounting had hidden a budget deficit of $3.6 billion, the highest per capita deficit in the nation. Showing true leadership, he renegotiated labor agreements with state employees, cut expenditures, and increased revenues, while at the same time finding room to promote long-term growth and education reforms. He reduced a deficit representing 17 percent of the State’s budget to a tenth of one percent. Far from going on a “tax and spend binge,” that’s what I call showing responsibility and getting our finances “back on track,” to use Mr. Blankley’s words. I am sorry that Representative Floren, Mr. Blankley’s opponent, voted against the Governor’s budget. I think she should have supported it. Given the size of the problem, there was no way to remedy the situation without pain. It is greatly to the Governor’s credit that he found a balanced way for this to be shared. We can all remember how vigorously the unions fought against the give-backs.  

Everyone recognizes that the next big problem is our state’s accumulated debt and unfounded pension liabilities. Only strong leadership, as we now have in the Governor’s mansion, will address these issues. Let’s help the Governor and send to Hartford an experienced and successful businessman to provide proactive assistance in getting our state back on track. Join me in voting for John Blankley for the State assembly.

Gerald A. Pollack

Old Greenwich