Harding likes Stefanowski's infrastructure funding plan

By Scott Benjamin

State Rep. Stephen Harding (R-107) says he supports the plan by former Republican gubernatorial nominee Bob Stefanowski to fund Connecticut’s infrastructure improvements by reducing current spending by one percent.

Stefanowski of Madison said recently on WTIC Radio in Hartford that Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Greenwich), who defeated Stefanowski by about 44,000 votes in the 2018 gubernatorial election, should have each state commissioner find one percent savings in their budgets and that would equal more than $200 million a year.

CT Mirror has reported that Lamont’s revised tolls plan in which commercial trucks would only pay tolls is expected to generate $187 million a year. The governor has said he plans to largely fund the remainder of his 10-year, $19.4 million proposal through low-interest federal loans.

Stefanowski - a former financial official with General Electric and UBS who has written two books on mergers and acquisitions - contends that reducing budget expenditures would be more efficient since no toll gantries would have to be constructed, there would be no lawsuits from the trucking industry and prices would go up at retail outlets because of the higher transportation costs.

“I think you could find one percent efficiencies,” Harding said in phone interview.

“I’m not sure that you should cut each department one percent, because some of them may actually need more money, but I think overall it is do-able to get a one percent reduction and maintain services,” added the state representative who represents his hometown of Brookfield along with the Stony Hill section of Bethel and a slice of northern Danbury. He was initially elected in a February 2015 special election.

Harding said he had “reservations” about the recent Republican state Senate plan that would have taken $1.5 billion from the rainy day fund to reduce state employee pension costs and use those savings to fund infrastructure improvements.

He said the state since over the last two years, the General Assembly has worked diligently to build the rainy day fund to $2.5 billion after years of neglect.

CT Mirror has reported that Lamont has said the cost for the commercial truck tolls would be as little as $1.25 for a medium truck with an EZ pass and as much as $19.20 for an 18-wheeler without EZ pass.

The Yankee Institute reported that a video from the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut indicated that there would be $500,000 in additional costs to truckers in the state.

Harding said, “I haven’t heard much from the trucking industry, but I have heard from the small businesses that utilize trucking and that there is going to be an additional costs for them.”

“There are residents in my district that think that once you put up the gantries that it is inevitable that they will be used for cars,” he added.

Harding said based on information he has received tolls for only commercial trucks is illegal even though it is in place in Rhode Island.

The Landline Now web site reported that a federal court dismissed a case brought by truckers, Cumberland Farms and other businesses earlier this year because it was an issue that should be addressed in state court. However, this fall the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit overruled that decision and stated that Rhode Island must face in federal court the challenge that tolls are not a tax.

Lamont has said that he is “confident that the legal arguments for tolls will prevail,” according to Landline Now.

Harding, an attorney, said depending on the outcome of the federal case in Rhode Island, he believes the Connecticut commercial truckers will submit a case in state court.

Lamont told Brookfield Patch in 2018 that he supported comprehensive tolls. During the primary and general election campaigns he repeatedly said he only would support tolls for truckers.

In February 2019 he announced his support for placing about 50 toll gantries across the state that would track all vehicles. That proposal never came to a vote during the regular session. There was talk of a special session vote.

When that possibility fizzled, Lamont and his staff started discussions with the federal Department of Transportation on acquiring low interest loans.

Lamont has said business leaders have told him infrastructure improvements would bolster a sluggish state economy that has been partly stymied by traffic congestion.

The initial revised proposal this fall would have installed 14 gantries that were near bridges that needed renovations.

Shortly thereafter, state Senate Democrats said there weren’t enough votes to get the legislation approved. Since last winter, state House and Senate leaders have voiced opposition to tolls and it appears no GOP legislators are willing to support them in any form.

Then, Lamont announced that he would have trucks-only tolls and sought a vote in December, but on the advice of Democratic legislative leaders has delayed the special session to January.

Reportedly, it would be the most ambitious transportation infrastructure program in Connecticut since the mid-1980s under former Gov. William O’Neill (D-East Hampton) following the collapse of the Mianus River Bridge in Greenwich.

CtTMirror has reported that some Democratic senators from swing districts were skittish about tackling tolls for all vehicles since it would hurt their 2020 re-election prospects.

“I don’t know that they have been skittish,” said Harding, who amassed more than 59 percent of the vote in 2018 in a district that hasn’t elected a Democrat since 1974.

“I think that they, like all legislators, have been listening to the opposition to tolls from the people in their district,” added the state representative.

However, why is getting re-elected so important?

If you only make $28,000 a year and work full-time hours when the General Assembly is in session and a considerable number of hours during the other months of the year, and the salary hasn’t increased since 2002 and apparently won’t increase in the near future, and if you could make more money at a job on the outside and also spend more time with your family, then why is keeping your job as a legislator such a big objective?

“You are serving your neighbors, and it is emotionally-rewarding to do that,” Harding said. “It is something that you can be proud about.”

Harding noted that grass roots organizing has been effective in Connecticut recently.

Perhaps the No Tolls organization is responsible for thwarting Lamont’s plan for the all-vehicles program with 50 gantries. Rallies began last winter and members of No Tolls are regularly protesting at the State Capitol.

Additionally, Republican consultant Liz Kurantowicz said on the Capitol Report on WTNH Ch. 8 in New Haven this summer that the Fight Back CT organization assembled by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Old Lyme) had a role in helping elect Lamont in a close election in 2018.

Ct Mirror has reported that the organization made one million phone calls and canvassed 250,000 homes.

So if the largest problem facing Connecticut is a pension system for state employees that, according to the March 2018 report from the Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Competitiveness, is only 29 percent funded – then why aren’t there grass roots rallies to address that issue?

Harding acknowledged that there is no organization addressing the unfunded pensions that has made the commitment to rallies or canvassing as the CT Tolls group or Fight Back CT.

However, he said there are organizations that have made it one of their legislative priorities.

“It just has not been of the scope of the No Tolls group or the organization that Senator Murphy put together,” said Harding.

The Fiscal Stability Commission, the Connecticut Business & Industry Association and the Yankee Institute have called for reforms in the pension system for the state employee collective bargaining units.

Harding said grass roots organizing “is a good thing” that often circulates mostly by “word of mouth.”

On another subject, he said he expects the General Assembly to again consider abolishing the Gift and Estate taxes, which have been a priority of the CT Realtors.

Dan Keune, the organization’s president, recently told Patch.com that Connecticut residents should not leave the state to do their estate planning.

He said the issue gained “traction” during the 2019 regular session.

Harding, who is serving his third term, said he said he expects that the General Assembly will continue to make efforts to “phase out” the Gift and Estate Taxes during the regular session, which will commence in February.

“I’m hopeful that it can be eliminated over time,” he added.

On a different topic, Washington Post economics columnist Robert Samuelson wrote recently that in a small way governments might want to bolster apprenticeship training, which usually includes both classroom sessions and on-the-job training.

He wrote that they are common in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Samuelson stated that 70 to 80 percent of the jobs are in construction fields.

He indicated that at one time they were considered ineffective since the sponsoring company would spend money on the training and often many of the apprentices would seek work with another company after completing their program.

However, Urban Institute economist Robert Lerman has reported that trend has changed – partly because apprentices want to have job security.

Samuelson wrote that President Donald Trump, former President Barack Obama and a number of governors from both major parties support the concept. A high percentage of 18 to 24 year olds currently don’t have a full-time job.

Samuelson recommended that government only make a small investment and abandon the programs if their funding isn’t making a difference.

Harding said he would support making a small government contribution toward apprenticeships, which usually incur the greatest costs during the apprentice’s first year of training.

“There should be more opportunities for vocational training,” he said. “It’s been lacking in Connecticut.”