Politics & Government
Godfrey predicts Democrats will try to add $$$ for education
Danbury state representative wants to lower sales tax from 6.35 percent to 6 percent
By Scott Benjamin
DANBURY – Bob Godfrey says Ned Lamont hasn’t changed after four years in the coveted second-floor office at the State Capitol.
“He’s still affable,” said Godfrey, the state representative from the 110th state House District in Danbury.
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“We still call him Ned,” he related. “It is not, ‘Governor.’ He remains popular.”
Lamont posted a 13-point victory last November – the largest plurality in a Connecticut gubernatorial election since 2006.
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Godfrey was initially elected in 1988. Four years ago he was critical of Lamont’s legislative outreach.
“He didn’t understand the Legislature,” Godfrey now says of his fellow Democrat. Lamont had never served in the General Assembly,
He said that Lamont now has an effective legislative liaison team.
Godfrey remarked that he supports the provision in Lamont’s proposed $50.5 billion two-year budget to reduce the middle- and lower- income tax rates from five down to 4.5 percent and from three down to two percent.
However, Godfrey said that there is a projected surplus of more than $3 billion for the fiscal year that ends in June.
He said he and other Democratic legislators can post more banners in the gymnasium and remain fiscally prudent.
In fact, he said Lamont and the General Assembly have already taken steps in that direction.
Godfrey commented that he is pleased that Lamont and the General Assembly agreed to extend the 2017 bipartisan budget guard rails another five years. That has resulted in putting more money in the rainy-day fund and in paying down pensions that reportedly were structurally underfunded every year from 1939 through 2010 – under 15 different governors.
He noted that they also have “increased the ability to make the rainy-day fund bigger” – using 18 percent instead of 15 percent as the maximum.
“About a billion dollars a year” more, Godfrey remarked.
“We’ve never been able to go on a spending spree, and I don’t think that we will be able to go on one now,” he exclaimed in an interview with Patch.com.
Keith Phaneuf of CT Mirror reported that the second year of Lamont’s proposed budget would leave $405 million in spending under the state cap. That is more than five times the average for the last decade.
“The governor, any governor, always says the good things” when he unveils his budget before a joint session of the General Assembly, Godfrey explained. “The governor’s budget that day is dead on arrival. There always is a tug-of-war and changes get made.”
He predicted: “We will make significant adjustments.”
Such as?
Godfrey has submitted legislation to reduce the 6.35 percent sales tax to 6 percent.
That proposal might generate bipartisan support.
State Sen. Stephen Harding (R-30) of Brookfield wrote in an e-mail statement to Patch.com that he supports both the proposed reduction in the income tax rates and the proposed cut in the sales tax.
“I still think that the super-rich pay too little,” remarked Godfrey, who conceded that it is unlikely that an additional tax on millionaires will be approved this session.
He also said that the state hasn’t properly addressed property tax reform.
For example, Godfrey noted that the tax on a car depends on where the resident lives. It can vary widely between Darien and Waterbury.
“It is kind of a dumb idea,” he said.
Yet, he acknowledged that some municipal leaders have been resistant to the proposed change – which former Govs. M. Jodi Rell (R-Brookfield) and Dannel Malloy (D-Essex) made.
Said Godfrey, “They’ve [the municipal leaders] said that we’re going to take away their revenue.”
State Sen. Ryan Fazio (R-36) of Greenwich recently told Patch.com that this might be that rare year when even with huge Democratic majorities in both chambers, a Democratic governor might veto the Legislature’s adopted budget and seek support from the Republicans to sustain the veto.
Mark Pazniokas of CT Mirror said in a recent podcast that Lamont, as did Malloy, cares about what The Wall Street Journal writes about Connecticut’s fiscal stability and he has become like Charlie Baker, the Republican moderate former governor of Massachusetts.
“I don’t know Charlie Baker or his policies,” said Godfrey.
However, regarding Lamont’s budget priorities, Godfrey said: “He definitely presents a billionaire’s point of view when it comes to budgeting and policy. I look around my district and I don’t even see a millionaire.”
“We have different constituencies,” Godfrey commented regarding himself and Lamont, who has lived for 40 years in Greenwich, a diverse municipality where Mets billionaire Steve Cohen resides.
Apparently, Godfrey isn’t distributing “Ya Gotta Believe In Uncle Ned” T-shirts.
He is sitting in Danbury Democratic headquarters on Main Street in the heart of his district, which includes the city’s downtown.
There are recently-constructed apartment complexes within easy walking distance. But Godfrey complains that they’re designed for people moving into Danbury. He said he can’t understand why housing downtown isn’t be developed with prices that existing Hat City residents can afford.
He said that on his street his home is the only single-family house.
“I think [Lamont] has under-funded K-12 education. I think he has underfunded higher education,” Godfrey declared.
However, he added that he and other Danbury legislators have secured considerable state money for the local school district through the years.
“Danbury has more than gotten its share of ECS [Education Cost Sharing] money,” Godfrey said. “The problem in the city of Danbury has underfunded education for a generation.”
He said the result has been overcrowded schools.
In an e-mail statement to Patch.com, Danbury Mayor Dean Esposito, a Republican who took office in 2021, wrote, "During my administration, we have provided record funding for our education system including the funding for building the new Danbury Career Academy and the district-wide career pathways curriculum. In regards to the state's consistent underfunding of ECS, the proof lies in the decision of the CCJEF [Connecticut Coalition for Justice In Education Funding v. Rell] case, which declared that cities like Danbury have been underfunded by the State of Connecticut for decades.”
Godfrey noted that last June voters approved $208 million at referendum to reconfigure the former Cartus headquarters and make it a Career Academy for a combined 1,400 high school and middle school students and make other improvements in the school district. He also said that the career pathways curriculum that is being developed will be the first of its kind in Connecticut and should “feed” the metro Danbury job market.
But he commented that he opposes state funds to help pay for the Danbury Charter School. which is slated to open for sixth grade students during the academic year that will start in August. The goal is to eventually have students from sixth grade through 12th grade.
Godfrey said he objects to taking $12 million in state funding away from the conventional schools for a program that will not be controlled by the Danbury Board of Education.
“I don’t like it when something is not accountable to elected officials,” he declared.
In a recent news release Esposito stated that he was “thrilled” that Lamont had allocated money for the Danbury Charter School in his proposed budget.
Added Esposito, “It’s clear that the local community stakeholders are in favor of this, with the majority of the City Council and the majority of the Board of Education, forming a coalition of elected officials to advocate directly to the governor. Now it’s up to our legislative delegation to bring this home for Danbury.”
Mark Boughton, a Republican former mayor who was in office for 19 years after teaching Social Studies at Danbury High School, said during a 2013 talk at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) in Danbury that he had visited two charter schools and both of them were getting “amazing results.”
Godfrey remarked, “Did he go to the ones that have gone out of business?”
On higher education, Godfrey said that Lamont “did nothing” for the public colleges and universities in his proposed budget.
Jessika Harkay and Keith Phaneuf of CT Mirror reported, “baseline operating aid for the regional state universities and community colleges increases under the governor’s plan from $693 million in the current biennium to $755 million for the next two fiscal years.”
They added, “But once temporary aid is considered, overall assistance for the regional universities and community colleges falls over the same period from $1.04 billion to $923 million.”
Godfrey said that legislators from the Danbury area met recently with Board of Regents President Terrence Cheng and Western Connecticut State University interim President Paul Beran.
Josh Moody of Inside Higher Ed reported in June that under former WCSU President John Clark, “99 percent of university reserves” had been “depleted in recent years.”
Godfrey said, “They [WCSU] have been definitely underfunded for years. What little increases they got, paid down overhead, especially insurance costs. There has been no room for expansion, no room for dealing with the needs of students. “They are spending their own rainy-day fund to keep the doors open.”
“Too many people can’t even afford to go to public universities anymore,” he explained. “That’s bad policy.”
Godfrey said that he is impressed with Beran, who is trying to resolve a host of issues.
“He’s a bright guy,” he said. “He’s got a thankless, difficult assignment. I think he is making sure everybody is part of the discussion.”
About 20 years ago WCSU was apparently growing more than any organization in Danbury this side of Boehringer Ingelheim.
After James Roach arrived as president in 1992, the school embarked on an extensive addition to the 35-acre midtown campus. A science building, another classroom/administration building, two parking garages, a quad area, a new student center and a new library were completed in less than 15 years. New buildings also were built at the 365-acre west side campus.
Godfrey said WCSU is now undergoing a consolidation in its academic programs.
“They’re combining majors and departments, which is probably a pretty good step,” he commented.
Godfrey added that a number of graduate courses are now taught online or in a hybrid format. The midtown student center, which opened in 1998, is being converted into classrooms and Berkshire Hall, which houses the Bill Williams Gymnasium, will become the new student center.
On another topic, Godfrey, who has long been a leader on gun responsibility, praised Lamont for supporting legislation to require a 10-day waiting period before purchasing a firearm and increasing requirements for firearm licenses.
“Gun violence has gotten worse,” he lamented.
He also lauded recent efforts by state Attorney General William Tong (D-Stamford) to reaffirm Connecticut’s law enabling courts to remove guns from people who are the subject of a restraining order.
CT News Junkie reported that Tong spoke at a rally in Hartford to address concerns about a U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in favor of Texas man that could invalidate the Connecticut law.
Regarding the upcoming mayor’s race in Danbury, Godfrey said he is pleased that former City Council member Roberto Alves, the 2021 Democratic nominee, is running again.
In an April 2021 phone interview with Patch.com, Godfrey said that, among other things, Alves had shown more ambition in campaigning for the office than any candidate he had seen. He lost to Esposito by a scant 171 votes.
In the more recent interview, Godfrey commented, “He raised the money. It is going to cost more than $200,000 – an incredible amount - to run a campaign for mayor. That threshold cuts down on the pool of candidates.”
Which elected officials, past of present, does Godfrey most admire?
“Abe Ribicoff,” he said.
The former Connecticut governor, Kennedy cabinet member and U.S. senator “was a big hero of mine.”
“He was attuned to what was going on,” said Godfrey.
He said Ribicoff denounced the “gestapo tactics” that were used to try to restore order at the tumultuous 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Godfrey also named former U.S. Rep. Bill Ratchford (D-5) of Danbury, who, among other things, helped a lot of young people, including Godfrey, get involved in government.
Before being elected to Congress, Ratchford served for four years as state House speaker.
Godfrey is currently the deputy house speaker pro-tempore and occasionally presides over the chamber when the speaker is absent.
He said, “When I am on that dais, I think about Bill.”
Resources:
Interview with Bob Godfrey, Patch.com, Saturday, February 11, 2023.
E-mail statement from Dean Esposito, Patch.com, Friday, February 17, 2023.
Interview with Ryan Fazio, Patch.com, Monday, February 20, 2023.
E-mail statement from Stephen Harding, Patch.com, February 15, 2023.
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https://ctmirror.org/2023/02/08/ct-colleges-uconn-cscu-lamont-budget-federal-pandemic-aid/
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https://ctmirror.org/2023/02/17/ct-spending-cap-ned-lamont-budget-debate/
Mark Boughton talk, Western Connecticut State University, February 19, 2013.
https://ctexaminer.com/2022/06...
https://patch.com/connecticut/brookfield/kushner-proud-paid-family-medical-leave-act
