Letter to the editor submitted by Andrew Melillo, Greenwich
Democrats have said the one-party rule in Hartford is not the problem. That Trump is the evil boogie man that has caused all of Connecticut’s systemic problems over the past decades and heaped countless taxes upon the citizens of this state. It’s nonsense and they want to distract voters from the real issues facing Connecticut, so they run to Trump and attempt to make it about him.
They do this while ignoring our state’s budget deficits, the ever increasing taxation, the businesses leaving the state, the lack of net job growth in twenty-five years, and the endless caravans of disillusioned and disenfranchised Yankee political refugees fleeing Connecticut for financial sanctuary states such as the Carolinas, Florida or Texas.
The Democrats focus on Trump, rather than the many more important issues impacting all hard working citizens on the local and state level. They do not want to talk about taxes, they do not want to talk about tolls, they do not want to talk about jobs, they do not want to talk about businesses. And when they are forced to talk about these issues they argue for raising your taxes, implementing tolls (another tax), claiming they created jobs and taxing large businesses. Good heavens. Trump is the problem? In Connecticut, Hartford and their one-party rule of Democrats is the problem.
The Connecticut Democrats have argued Trump’s tax plan is hurting taxpayers because it limits deductions. The tax plan exposes the Connecticut Democratic Party for what it is – a tax-loving, class envy machine. The limitation on deductions demonstrates to taxpayers that the Connecticut Democrats will tax you into oblivion and hope the federal government covers part of the cost. They should stop taxing us to extremes so to fund bloated pensions and runaway spending.
While Connecticut continues to stagnate, lose jobs, and increase state spending, the Democrats want to tell you how Trump is destroying healthcare. That he is dismantling the Affordable Care Act – but anyone working the private sector or who owns a business knows this is hogwash. Obama said you could keep your doctor; Obama said your costs would go down – the Democrats intervened in the market and it forced people to accept plans they did not want, and receive coverage that was worse than what they had before. Trump did not destroy healthcare, the government did and they Democrats played an effective key role in the destruction.
Then there is their talk about tariffs, how they are hurting businesses and employers – yet the Democrats ignore their own state and the taxes and fees they passed and heaped on businesses which continue to cost jobs and force businesses to locate elsewhere. These tariffs are a temporary negotiating measure to get incalcitrant countries like China to the table to make fairer deals for the American worker. A week ago it was announced that American steel workers will receive the biggest pay raise in years. The Democrats should be less concerned about steel manufacturers’ profits in foreign countries, and more with our own.
While Connecticut citizens continue to see lagging home sales, and fear further taxation via tolls – the Democrats want to be the fear monger and convince you that Roe v. Wade will be overturned. It’s nonsense and entirely unfounded. And while the Democrats ignore the lack of job growth in Connecticut, they claim Trump is destroying our alliances abroad.
Our alliances remain strong. Asking for our allies to make more of a commitment to our mutual defense is neither wrong nor imprudent. For example, when Obama led from behind in Libya, some of our allies literally ran out of missiles. That is because they spend next to nothing on their defense. Trump committing treason with dictators? The Democrats actually handed Russia a tangible strategic victory with Reset. Remember Hillary’s Uranium One deal? What does that have to do with Connecticut? Hartford needs to be fixed, and all the Democrats want to talk about is Trump.
And as Connecticut continues to see state liabilities continue to go unfunded, budget deficits widening each cycle and new tax plans being schemed up in Hartford, the Connecticut Democrats tell you Trump will make this a concealed carry state again, and flood Connecticut with weapons.
We are already a concealed carry state and Connecticut has some of the toughest gun laws in the nation. Trump does not change that. What do all mass shooters have in common? They are mostly young males from a broken home, lacking a father figure and are medicated. We need to tackle mental health, Democrats want to take guns from the good guys, while ignoring our state’s actual problems.
The Democrats want to talk about Trump while the state budget continues to balloon, state liabilities continue to sky-rocket and go unfunded, taxes continue to increase, businesses continue to leave, no net job growth continues to plague the market and talks of tolls and more taxes are being promoted by the Democratic gubernatorial candidate. These problems happened or were made worse during their one-party rule – and they’re ignoring it. Republicans are not running from Trump, it is the Democrats who are running to Trump, because the Democrats want you to ignore their party’s policies that have put our state in this mess. The Greenwich Democrats have nothing to stand on and they know it, so they divert from the real issues facing our state. Heaven help us.
Respectfully Submitted,
Andrew R. Melillo