Fazio proposes permanent tax cuts

By Scott Benjamin

CROMWELL -- Ryan Fazio is wearing a clip-on microphone as he poses for an iPhone video in a parking lot within a WIFFLE Ball throw of the bustling traffic along the Berlin Road on a steamy afternoon with the Sweat Patrol on duty.

Subscribe

His younger sister – Anastasia, a summer intern – collects social media content at some of his campaign stops – the questions, answers, smiles, handshakes, photo ops, his visits near the bongo players at the cultural festival and the kids riding the rumble ponies at the carnival.

The Cromwell Diner is celebrating America's 250th anniversary. Red, white and blue bunting decorates the railing outside and there is a supplemental menu that features a 1776 Breakfast: Two buttermilk pancakes with fresh strawberries and blueberries.

The late Dr. Z – Paul Zimmerman – the NFL writer for Sports Illustrated, collected toy soldiers, wine labels and, yes, restaurant menus.

To capture the diversity of Connecticut, why not get a menu from each restaurant you visit as you crisscross Connecticut and put them in a baseball card binder with full-page pockets? As the Republican nominee for governor they might gladly give them to you for free in return for a photo op near the pastry shelf.

"I have too much stuff and I try not to hoard stuff," says Fazio. "I'm a known minimalist. I don't collect too many things."

"But Amy and I go out to a lot of great restaurants – not just the pizza – in Connecticut," Fazio said, making reference to his fiancée, Amy Orser.

Former Congresswoman Nancy Johnson of New Britain, Republican of the Fifth District, once remarked that many times while driving with her husband, Ted, to dinner they would mention that the restaurant that they were going to only served foreign food.

Fazio commented, "In Stamford, in particular, which I represent, that is the case because there is such a diversity of even Latin foods."

The other night at a forum at the Back Nine Tavern in the Plantsville section of Southington his campaign distributed Fazio stickers with a photo of him wearing a superimposed Superman Outfit.

Fazio complains that Connecticut is unaffordable.

Yet, a confidential informant – the one who counts the 451 paces from entry to the gate along Delta terminal A at Eugene Bradley International – says if you get Fazio to sign the sticker with a Sharpie, the price of resale at Steiner Sports Memorabilia is 68 percent higher.

In August 2021 Fazio won a special election to put the 36th District – which includes Greenwich, northern Stamford and a slice of New Canaan - back in the Republican column. In 2018 Alex Kasser of Greenwich was the first Democrat to win that seat since 1930.

This May, some Republican officials termed it a "Camelot moment" as the 36-year-old Fazio annexed the GOP gubernatorial nomination at the state convention. If elected, he would be the youngest governor in Connecticut history .

Fazio is bookish, with an Economics degree from Northwestern – where his professors included a Nobel Prize Laurette. He can solve the New York Times crossword puzzle in less time than it takes Josh Kerr to run the mile.

Southern Connecticut State University Political Science and Urban Affairs Professor Jonathan Wharton said, "He knows the data, he knows the numbers."

Michael Goldstein, the Republican candidate for Congress in the Fourth District - who, like Fazio, hails from Greenwich - said, "He's extremely intelligent. But he's got a tough uphill battle" against Democrat two-term governor Ned Lamont of Greenwich.

In Connecticut, Republicans post a record similar to the Colorado Rockies in the major cities and over the last decade have lost traction in some suburbs, apparently as a result of the diploma divide.

The GOP hasn't won the governorship since the iPhone went on the market.

So with inflation at its highest levels since Dave Winfield made his Yankees debut, Fazio is targeting what Dick Clark admiringly called, the "McDonald's people."

He said he wants to cut taxes by about $2 billion a year.

Can you do that and also continue to pay down a state pension debt that is 70 percent funded, far better than a decade ago, but still below the 80 percent level that would move it to the "good" category?

Fazio said his proposal would reduce both the debt and the "general growth of government spending"

"It won't be done by going into deficit," he exclaimed.

In 2014, Democrat incumbent Dannel Malloy announced he would issue $55 rebate checks to residents earning less than $200,000 annually. In 2018 Republican nominee Bob Stefanowski pledged to eliminate the income tax, which has been on the books since 1991.

Neither plan made it to the wild card round.

"I think [Fazio's tax proposal] resonates pretty well with voters," said Gary Rose, Government Professor at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield. "Some people might take it with a grain of salt, But the message is clear that we're an overtaxed state."

"The particulars are not important," said Rose. "You can get into the particulars later. It is a winning message."

Fazio says the $2 billion tax cut will be permanent each year.

However, Bob Rubin, who served as treasury secretary under Democrat former President Bill Clinton, and Paul O'Neill, who held that post under Republican former President George W. Bush, have said even 10-year tax cuts are highly inaccurate.

The historic Reagan tax cut of 1981 was only for three years.

Fazio said Reagan's '86 tax cut – which, among other things, lowered the top individual rate from 50 percent to 28 percent - was permanent.

"That generated more economic growth and set the United States up for the economic boom of the 1990s," Fazio asserted.

"My [tax cut plan] has to be permanent because people have to expect that Connecticut will be a more affordable place," Fazio declared.

"People are not going to move to or invest in Connecticut if they only see a one-year benefit," he added, "Predictability is important in economic policy."

Wharton commented: "He's trying to go forward on his own path. He's not Mark Boughton, he's not Bob Stefanowski. He's trying to come up with his own brand and he's doing it with the MAGA base."

Fazio is seeking to establish a two percent property tax increase cap on the municipal mill rate, or pegging it to the rate of inflation. Those parameters could be overridden through a supermajority vote of citizens in a municipality.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Connecticut's effective property tax rate of 1.36 is the fourth highest in the nation.

Fazio said he would trim costs by eliminating hundreds of the 1,400 state mandates on municipalities.

Said Fazio, "It is not rocket science. Other states have done this."

Democrat Matt Knickerbocker, who served as Bethel's first selectman for 13 years, said, "It is a blunt instrument. It takes away from municipalities a way to deal with things that are beyond their control. Health care costs sometimes have double-digit increases per year. His proposal doesn't conform to reality on the ground."

Knickerbocker, who is the Democrat candidate in the 32nd state Senate District, commented that of the 169 municipal chief elected officials in Connecticut, "Not one of them is going to support this idea."

He said that similar policies have caused some California municipalities to go bankrupt and forced libraries in Massachusetts to close.

Fazio said there are many "important economic contributors" in Connecticut that, nevertheless, "are not paying the taxes that the small businesses are paying."

State Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding (R-30) of Brookfield said, "We should look at everything from the non-profits to the government entities. We need to look at their ability to pay."

Fazio said, for example, that Yale University in New Haven pays $25 million annually in taxes but would pay $150 million if all of its property was taxed at the assessed value.

"We have to find a happy medium," he explained. "The failure of getting budgets passed at referendum is symptomatic that people cannot afford the property tax level."

Former two-time Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill Curry has been bellowing through a megaphone for property tax reform since about the time that Steve Young became the regular starting quarterback for the 49ers.

Said Curry, "Should the city of New Haven be getting more money for Yale's property? Yes. But the property town exemption is the not the most fruitful discussion. It doesn't do too much for the towns that are in equally dire straits that don't have a lot of non-profits."

Curry added that when he entered the state Senate in 1979 he "complained" that Yale was not doing enough for New Haven. He said that has changed.

"Yale is a good corporate citizen and is a major driver in economic development in that city, " he explained.

Former Republican gubernatorial contenders John McKinney of Fairfield, 2014, and Tim Herbst of Trumbull, 2018, called for the establishment of an Office of Inspector General, which would save the state money through a team of forensic auditors.

Fazio commented, "I'm open to the concept of an Inspector General, but more importantly, support forensic audits of our state government and more importantly the implementation of most of those audit's findings."

"The governor has received audits and reports of waste in Connecticut state government with suggestions for over a billion dollars in savings--including in the CREATES report--over his eight years in office and has failed to implement the vast majority of those opportunities to reduce our tax burden," he exclaimed.

In response, Rob Blanchard, a senior advisor to Lamont's campaign, wrote: "Governor Lamont didn't just find savings on paper, he delivered eight balanced budgets, took the state's pension funding from 35% to 70%, and passed the largest tax cut in Connecticut history."

"Ryan Fazio, whose campaign is as thrilling as an audit, can cite line-items all day, but the real number that matters are this: Connecticut's finances are stronger today than they've been in decades and when Democrats delivered real property tax relief to families, Fazio voted against it," added Blanchard.

The FanGraphs odds indicate that it is highly likely that in January there will be Democratic majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly. The state House hasn't had a Republican majority, for example, since the 1984 election.

"I'm willing to negotiate," said Fazio.

He remarked, "We have a powerful governorship in the state of Connecticut with line-item veto power that I will use assertively., The Bond Commission [which the governor chairs] is extremely important. It enables a governor to protect taxpayers. That is enormous leverage to negotiate with the Legislature."

Fazio commented, "I have had a great deal of success at working across the aisle with my Democratic colleagues." He said he has been a co-sponsor of seven pieces of legislation that have been signed into law.

California will have a wealth tax proposition on the ballot in November.

Declared Fazio, "It will destroy investment and the incentive to create jobs,"

"Those [the costs] will absolutely be borne by the future [taxpayers] because it is an incentive for older people who have saved money to spend it rather than lend it or invest it, which is what creates the economic growth," he explained.

Since February the per gallon gasoline price in Connecticut has increased by about $1.20. The state had a temporary gas tax suspension d ring the 2022 inflation crisis. Is that step needed again?

"Probably not," said Fazio. "We need to fund the infrastructure."

He added that the gas tax should be a "flat fee" per gallon instead of "a percentage" and the electric vehicle owners should be paying their fair share.

He said that probably could be done through "the registration fee. I have heard a lot of electric vehicle owners agree with those efforts."

Malloy signed legislation to allow liquor to be sold on Sunday and to a later hour on weeknights.

However, he wasn't able to abolish minimum pricing.

Ten years ago, CT News Junkie columnist Terry Cowgill wrote, "An industry study estimates that with the elimination of minimum pricing Connecticut will gain between $5.2 million and $8.1 million annually in new excise and sales taxes because Nutmeggers won't flee the state in droves to buy in Massachusetts and New Hampshire."

Commented Fazio, "I haven't investigated the issue thoroughly."

"I don't have concerns about the current system," he said "But I am open-minded. Intuitively I'm against minimum pricing and price-fixing, but I want to look into the issue a little bit more."

What about allowing wine to be sold in the large supermarkets?

"I'm open to that," Commented Fazio.

Wall Street Journal senior economics commentator Greg Ip has written that companies are investing more in capital than labor, a trend that will probably accelerate as a result of artificial intelligence.

Will that destroy jobs?

Fazio remarked, "Probably not, because economics says capital is how workers get paid. Skills and workers get paid. "More technology, the demand for workers in the long run goes up. It will in the long term create more permanent jobs."

Under Lamont, the state's minimum wage has increased $10.10 per hour to $16.94 per hour and will go to $17.48 per hour in January.

Fazio asserted, "The only true minimum wage is zero. If you increase it too much, you can have jobs destroyed for people who need them the most and the prices at the store will go up, especially for working-class families. "So we need to increase wages markedly for everybody."

Fazio has underscored consumer costs.

How has Republican President Donald Trump's Liberation Day trade policies made Connecticut more affordable?

"I don't have a constitutional way to effectuate it," Fazio said.

"Over the long run, lower barriers on trade will result in lower prices on both sides of trade," he commented.

How has Operation Epic Fury made Connecticut more affordable?

Fazio commented that, "It is international policy." He said that he hopes the operation will result in, "Peace and prosperity."

Matt Corey of Manchester, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, said, "If there is a resolution to the fighting in Iran and those gas prices go down, those fears from consumers will go away. However, I wish there would be less talking by the president and more action. Iran is a regime that can't be trusted."

Republican former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie recently said on ABC's 'This Week' that Republicans are "scared" of Trump as a result of his low poll approval ratings.

Rose commented, "Political scientists are starting to refer to it as all politics is national. It can color in a big way the outcome of these contests in the midterm elections."

Lamont recently said that with a $39 trillion debt, federal taxes should be increased.

Fazio disagreed, saying, "I think spending needs to be moderated. High taxes is the worst outcome possible."

On higher education, Virginia and Ohio are seeking to establish a 90-credit bachelor's degree at their state universities.

Fazio said Connecticut should conduct a similar study.

"Anyone who have gone to college in the modern day and age fully understands you could get a four-year degree without having to learn anything and without working so diligently," he remarked.

Fazio said the state needs to consider why the University of Connecticut in Storrs is the "second most subsidized flagship university in the country." He added that other four-year public campuses have added a number of non-teaching positions over the year.

Fazio said the campuses should "focus on the most important" and not the "nice to have."

Dartmouth College President Sian Leah Beilock recently wrote that her school is "moving" toward guaranteeing a "paid internship or comparable experiential opportunity" for any student that requests one.

As for Connecticut's universities, Fazio questioned the value of campus-based internships since they may not relate much "to the real-world."

As for getting internships at private companies, he said "that might be a good avenue to investigate."

Voters, reporters probably don't discuss it enough during campaigns: A governor will almost inevitably face a crisis.

Lamont has been challenged by the pandemic and the 2024 flooding in Oxford, Southbury and Seymour.

Regarding Fazio, Rose said, "He has been in the state Senate for five years. I don't think we have enough evidence to make a determination" on how he will act in a crisis.

Does George Steinbrenner belong in the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Fazio, a Yankees fan, said he is "worthy" of consideration.

In 2003 'The Sporting News' ranked Steinbrenner as the most powerful person in sports.

Declared Fazio, "He changed baseball more than any owner in modern times. It is not just the statistics, but whether you made a difference in the game."

However, shouldn't Fazio say more than that Steinbrenner is "worthy" of consideration?

Shouldn't he insist that Steinbrenner be inducted since he was an assistant football coach at Northwestern in 1955?

Fazio responded, "I would be a far more sensible Baseball Hall of Fame voter than most of the Baseball Writers of America–who make far too many mistakes–and would cast my vote for Mr. Steinbrenner if I were able to."

Resources:

Interview with Ryan Fazio ,Patch.com, on Saturday, August 8, 2026.

E-mail interview with Ryan Fazio, Patch.com, on Thursday, August 13, 2026.

Phone interview with Gary Rose, Patch.com, on Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Phone interview with Matt Corey, Patch.com, on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.

Phone interview with Jonathan Wharton, Patch.com, on Friday, July 31, 2026.

Phone interview with Stephen Harding, Patch.com, on Monday, August 10, 2026.

Interview with Michael Goldstein, Patch.com, on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.

Phone interview with Bill Curry, Patch.com, on Thursday, August 13, 2026.

E-mail statement, Rob Blanchard, Thursday, August 13, 2026.

https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/capital-labor-wealth-economy-2fcf6c2f

https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/55-tax-refunds-unlikely/67215/

https://ctnewsjunkie.com/2016/08/26/op-ed_getting_serious_about_liquor_justice/

https://ctnewsjunkie.com/2016/02/12/op-ed_minimum_pricing_deliver_us_from_the_scourge/

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/is-a-four-year-degree-worth-it-6af09e3b

https://ctmirror.org/2026/07/16/ct-citizens-assembly-property-tax-gubernatorial-debate/

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/less-is-more-in-higher-education-3f1c39da