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July/August 2005 — Vol. 83, No. 6

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Has the General Assembly made your business more, or less, competitive?

By Kenneth O. Decko

CBIA President and CEO

 

Now that the General Assembly’s regular session has ended (it wrapped up June 8), it’s time for Connecticut businesses to assess whether the legislature’s actions have made them more, or less, competitive in the global market.

The session produced little to cheer about. While legislators did approve a handful of positive bills, for the most part they failed to focus on issues that would have improved Connecticut’s economic competitiveness. At press time in mid-June, there was still time for them to focus on one critical issue — the governor’s transportation initiative, which legislators were planning to take up, in addition to a few other issues, during a special session tentatively scheduled for June 23 and 24.

Looking back at the regular session, it’s especially disappointing that legislators seriously considered scores of proposals that would have weakened our economic competitiveness and cost jobs at a time when the state is struggling to overcome a sluggish economy and slow job growth. Most of the harmful measures ultimately failed to win approval, but several did, including a state budget that raises business taxes and exceeds the state spending cap.

I encourage you to ask yourself: Is your business better able to meet domestic and overseas competition as a result of the General Assembly’s actions this year? Will you be able to add jobs? Or will you need to eliminate some? Will you be willing to make business investments in Connecticut? Or will you be more likely to make those investments elsewhere?

After you think about those questions, I strongly urge you to let your employees and legislators know the answers you’ve come up with. Only by hearing directly from you will both of these groups understand how the legislature’s actions affect your business and its ability to compete from Connecticut.