VOICES Matt Gianquinto: On Bonding, Witkos Plays Goldilocks
Republicans in Hartford often criticized Governor Dannel Malloy's reliance on bonding for projects to spur economic development and make important investments for Connecticut's future. Republicans in Hartford are now criticizing Governor Ned Lamont's attempts to reduce bonding in his effort to continue wrangling stubborn budget deficits now and into Connecticut's future.
For Senator Kevin Witkos, that means playing Goldilocks when it comes to just how much should be put on CT's credit card.
In 2015, Witkos scolded Malloy's plan to increase bonding to support important projects around the state:
Explaining Republican opposition to the overall bond package, Sen. Kevin Witkos, R-Canton, the second-highest-ranking GOP senator, said state officials must recognize Connecticut’s surging debt.
With about $21 billion in bonded debt, Connecticut already ranks among the most indebted states, per capita, in the nation.
And Malloy notified Wall Street credit rating agencies earlier this year that he planned to increase state borrowing dramatically in 2015, from about $1.8 billion to $2.5 billion.
“Each of us as individual taxpayers has to bear that,” Witkos said, adding that a dangerous trend in state bonding involves financing more and more operating costs traditionally paid for with cash in the budget. “We continuously move things from the general fund to bonding,” he said. (CTMirror 6/29/15 "Malloy Gets His Transportation Bonding--But Not His "LockBox" Keith Phaneuf)
Witkos stood in opposition to a bonding package in 2015 that not only included funding for Malloy's transportation agenda, but also STEAP grants and other important initiatives. Towns in our district rely on these programs to support their own economic initiatives. He voted against funding these programs and encouraged his colleagues to do so.
"I just think we've accelerated our bonding level to such a high degree, so quickly, that at some point it's going to be unattainable to do so, so I would urge rejection on the bonding bill," Witkos said from the Senate floor.
The bill also includes $270 million, paid out over two years, in new funding for public housing projects and $100 million over two years for low-performance "alliance" school systems.
The bill also increases funding for Connecticut towns and cities in a variety of different ways, notably through the Urban Action grant of $120 million over two years, and $40 million, paid out over two years for the Small Town Economic Assistance Program. (Courant 6/29/15 "Legislature OKs Bonding Bill, Includes First Steps in Malloy's Transportation Plan" Andrew Deuhren)
Fast forward to this week, when Lamont moved to proceed with his "debt diet" at the State Bond Commission and Witkos made it clear he's changed his mind: CT doesn't bond enough.
A Republican leader on the State Bond Commission expressed concerns Tuesday that Gov. Ned Lamont’s “debt diet” could stifle an important economic development grant for small Connecticut towns.
Also Tuesday, Lamont followed his first bond commission meeting by making another appeal for bipartisan compromise on tolls to ensure a major rebuild of Connecticut’s aging, overcrowded highways, bridges and rails.
“We’ve neglected to look after some of the smaller towns in our state,” Sen. Kevin Witkos, R-Canton, told Lamont during the commission meeting.
Witkos urged the governor — who chairs the bond commission and whose budget office sets its agenda — to support $30 million in financing for the Small Town Economic Assistance Program, commonly known as STEAP. (CTMirror 4/2/19 "GOP Leader Worried Lamont's 'debt diet' could stifle grants for small towns" Keith Phaneuf)
The good news for Witkos is that there is away for him to have his cake and eat it too--Republicans could help alleviate the state's reliance on bonding for critical infrastructure projects by supporting the installation of tolls which would raise money specifically for these projects. At the same time, that would provide relief to the bonding agenda, ensuring that appropriate levels of funding are available for worthy programs like STEAP even while CT shapes up through a "debt diet."
Let's hope Witkos finds future bonding agendas juuuuuust right, and let's hope it doesn't take too long. Just this week the American Road and Transportation Builders Association released a report compiled in 2018 that cites 308 bridges in our state as structurally deficient.
Matt Gianquinto is a resident of Simsbury and serves as State Central Committeeman for the 8th District, which includes Simsbury, Avon, Canton, New Hartford, Barkhamsted, Colebrook, Norfolk, Hartland, and parts of Torrington, Harwinton and Granby.