State Senator Donald J. DeFronzo
December 18, 2009
Coalition of Senate Democrats Unveil “Connecticut Jobs Now” Proposal
Plan would create more than 16,000 jobs, invest in state’s aging infrastructure
A coalition of Senate Democrats today called on Governor M. Jodi Rell and her administration to enact a plan that would create more than 16,000 jobs and boost the state’s infrastructure by placing targeted capital investments in five key areas over the next twelve months and two fiscal years.
The Connecticut Jobs Now plan calls for $1 billion in state bonding to invest in transportation infrastructure, housing, energy conservation, clean water and higher education — an aggressive plan to create jobs, stimulate the Connecticut’s sluggish economy and promote economic recovery.
“Connecticut needs jobs, and needs them now; we have a responsibility to create and sustain jobs in our state,” said Senator Donald DeFronzo (D-New Britain), who chairs the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee and General Bonding Subcommittee. “The unemployment rate in Connecticut is 8.2 percent; construction industry employment is upwards of 25 percent. Our current market conditions offer an unprecedented opportunity for the state to make wise capital investments in new facilities, clean water projects, roads and bridges, mass transit and many other projects that could be bid and under construction in a very short period of time.”
“The twofold advantage of our proposal is the way it solves one of the state’s most pressing immediate needs, in terms of jobs creation and resulting cash flow into the local economy, while providing for the state’s long-term needs in terms of completing vital capital improvement projects,” Senator Andrea Stillman (D-Waterford) said. “Our research underscores how every single part of the state will benefit from this proactive approach; conversely, I don’t see any value in simply standing pat, wringing our hands and waiting for economic recovery to happen.”
Connecticut Jobs Now calls for the funding of only those projects that were previously authorized and does not call for the authorization of any new projects; it calls for allocation of those projects that could be implemented within 90 to 120 days. Several state agencies, including the state Department of Transportation and Department of Public Works have already developed project lists that meet the recommended criteria.
“The state and federal government need to spark more private investment and job creation, and we can do that by re-prioritizing our existing bond authorizations to complete shovel-ready projects,” Senator Jonathan Harris (D-West Hartford) said. “We don’t need to authorize any more bonding — we just need to invest it differently. And we need to do this immediately.”
“Governor Rell, who regularly shops at Marshall’s, should appreciate the fact that we will be getting quality work at a discount price,” said Senator Gary LeBeau (D-East Hartford). “The fact that this would create tens of thousands of new jobs and make investments that need to be made make this a win-win. We have an opportunity to make this happen, but we need executive action. The window of opportunity will be closing.”
“I’m particularly excited about two aspects of this proposal, the potential for small businesses in Connecticut, especially within the construction industry and related trades, and the fact that we can simply prioritize existing bond authorizations to do this, without adding to the state’s overall indebtedness,” Senator Edith G. Prague (D-Columbia) said. “In education, when grades begin to slip students must study harder; in sports, when performance isn’t up to par, athletes must train harder; and in this case, while our economy sputters, we must get more people working, and this plan provides the formula for that.”
“I’m hopeful that the governor will act on this proposal,” said Senator Andrew Maynard (D-Stonington). “We’re looking for creative ideas to stimulate job growth. This creates an opportunity to use already authorized bond money in a smart, targeted way to take advantage of favorable market conditions, including 15 to 20 percent reductions in cost estimates, and to put people to work.”
The plan would require no legislative action and could be fully implemented under the authority of the Executive Branch. The coalition pledged its support to maintain the established bonding cap and de-authorize projects as necessary.
Downloads:
Connecticut Jobs Now proposal (PDF 386K)
Letter to Governor Rell regarding the Connecticut Jobs Now plan (PDF 78K)
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