Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Senator Kelly, Representative Candelora, members of the General Assembly, Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, my fellow state officials, honored guests, and the people of the great State of Connecticut.
It is very nice to see so many of you back in the flesh! Three years ago today, I stood before you as a new governor. Today, the state of the state is better off than it was three years ago, but we still have a long way to go.
Three years ago, we were standing at the edge of a fiscal cliff, facing a $3.7 billion budget deficit, and today we are deciding what taxes to cut or school programs to grow, thanks to our third consecutive year of budget surpluses.
For decades, governor after governor has increased taxes and fees; in the land of steady habits, it seemed inevitable. But, it was a habit I was hell-bent on breaking.
For three years, we’ve held the line against broad-based tax increases. This year, my budget cuts taxes for working and middle-class families. We’re also holding down the costs of healthcare, childcare, and college tuition, making Connecticut more affordable for everyone.
Outside observers were accustomed to downgrading our ratings and even the outgoing budget director said Connecticut was in a chronic fiscal crisis.
Over the last three years, our budgets have been balanced and on time, resulting in rating upgrades that have caught the attention of businesses and families ready to move to Connecticut.
Thanks, in part, to our bipartisan efforts, we have begun to change the narrative from “fiscal crisis” to “fiscal turnaround.” Unlike Washington, we did it together. That is the Connecticut difference!
