Camillo: Greenwich Delegation Proud of Team Work

Submitted by State Rep Fred Camillo, District 151

It has been an honor to work alongside my Greenwich Delegation colleagues, Sen Scott Frantz, Rep Mike Bocchino, and Rep Livvy Floren.

Yes, having a good rapport is important. And yes, being friends (“Super Friends” as one columnist (and former candidate ) likes to say, in a not so complimentary way) doesn’t hurt, either.

However, the one thing that is clear, and is the most important, is the team record. As former New York Giants Coach Bill Parcells was fond of saying, “You are what your record says you are. ”

The record of the Greenwich Delegation is one our fellow Greenwich residents can be proud of.

When Democratic Governor Dan Malloy publicly stated that he would not allow funding for New Lebanon School, then pulled the funding on three occasions, the delegation had it restored by working with BOTH sides of the aisle, over the governor’s objections. That saved Greenwich taxpayers $27 million dollars.

The delegation was directly responsible lowering the Estate Tax, something that is widely acknowledged to be among chief reasons for residents departing our state. It is now being phased up to the Federal exclusion mark.

The delegation fought the Malloy proposal to eliminate all state education aid to town. That proposal was also defeated, thus saving taxpayers again from having to face a severe tax hike.

Tax on restaurants? The delegation had you covered there, too. Dead.

Increases in income tax and sales tax rates, yes, the delegation fought, and won, those battles, too!

Tired of being in a state that taxes your Social Security, one of just 12 to do that, the delegation fought to have that phased out, starting in 2018.

Pension tax making you dream of relocating? That, too, will be phased out, thanks to the delegation’s efforts.

Volatility Cap, Spending Cap, and Bonding Cap…all are now realities, thanks in no small part to advocacy, work, and votes of your delegation in Hartford.

Up until 2017 budget negotiations, the General Assembly was not denied the right to vote on union contracts. Despite Republican insistence on this right, year after year, the Democrats used their majority numbers to prevent votes.

Now, due to the GOP being invited to the 2017 budget negotiations after the Democrats were five and a half months late with that budget, the taxpayers of Connecticut will be the beneficiaries of their representatives vetting contracts they are paying for. In fact, the 2017 budget was the ONLY one in the country that saw a minority party (GOP) inspired budget.

The aforementioned accomplishments don’t even take into account the dozens of individual bills that the delegation wrote, introduced, and gained passage into law on. These laws, dealing with public safety, public health, consumer protection financial reform, commerce, and animal welfare, have combined to make our state safer, healthier, more compassionate, and on the road to economic competitiveness, even from the position of minority party status.

So, when a DTC or Indivisible (a national organization supporting Democratic candidates) member writes a letter asking what the Greenwich Delegation has accomplished, all while not even identifying themselves, please look at the record. It is all one has to go on when entering the voting booth on November 6th.