Some voters may be apt to stay home this election season, turned off by the ugliness of the presidential race and the two deeply flawed candidates running for the country’s highest office.
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Some voters may be apt to stay home this election season, turned off by the ugliness of the presidential race and the two deeply flawed candidates running for the country's highest office.
That, of course, would be a mistake. As with any presidential election, voters have a chance to shape the United States' future.
In Connecticut, voters also have a chance to choose which direction the Nutmeg State will follow. Although Connecticut's highest office isn't up for grabs, political power in the state legislature is, with all 187 seats on the ballot.
The Hartford Business Journal has traditionally not endorsed candidates, and we will continue to stick to our knitting this year, but voters, particularly members of the business community, have a lot at stake, and must play an active role supporting pro-growth candidates.
With Connecticut once again facing billion-dollar deficits in the years ahead, the threat of higher taxes will loom like a rain cloud over voters' heads as they head to the polls Nov. 8. In recent months, candidates have rarely talked about the need to raise taxes, but those sentiments will likely shift when the legislative session begins in January and election-season is in the rearview mirror.
Democrats have controlled state government for the last six years, owning the governor's mansion and both houses of the General Assembly. During that time, the state has faced extremely difficult financial pressures, which has led to two of the largest tax increases in state history and a slow economic recovery from the Great Recession.
The challenges the state faces are many, both in the short and long term. They include: an aging population and difficulty in retaining and recruiting younger workers; one of the largest unfunded pension liabilities in the country; deteriorating infrastructure and clogged interstates; poverty-stricken and cash-strapped cities; high energy prices; and escalating healthcare costs, among many others.
Myriad factors have played into Connecticut's woes in recent years and we aren't assigning blame to one person or party, but we do believe one-party rule over a prolonged period isn't the most healthy thing for a democracy. Indeed, it can limit the marketplace of ideas and the need for compromise.
Democrats currently hold a 21-15 majority in the Senate and a 87-64 majority in the House. Going into the election, Democrats hold the advantage in the blue state of Connecticut. To the extent Donald Trump turns off members of his own party, that edge will only widen.
Regardless of your political leanings, we urge you to vote. Business owners and executives have as much on the line as anyone, particularly as legislators prepare to make decisions on major policy issues that will shape the state's future for years to come.
