Letter: Governor needs to understands his constituency

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To the editor,

Gov. Ned Lamont has once again underestimated the resolve of most Connecticut residents.

In August, the plastic bag law (tax) was enacted, along with its predicted $27.7 million revenue stream in the state budget. I imagine the governor relied upon some voluntary data, simply deducing the number of bags provided by Connecticut retailers, times 10 cents, extrapolated out to equal an annual $27.7 million revenue stream. Simple math, right?

Well, not for me and many others. Given the choice of paying the state of Connecticut a 10 cent tax for a bag, I would walk as many times back and forth to my car as needed to avoid that tax. More prudently of course, myself and thousands of other Connecticut residents bring our own bags, boxes or whatever it takes to carry the groceries.

So, not surprisingly, the state has adjusted its revenue prediction to $7 million, instead of $27.7 million, a 75% reduction.

The same lesson regarding the stalwart Connecticut taxpayers will also apply to tolls.

Do I think the transportation infrastructure needs funding? Yes.

Do I think tolls would be a fair way to fund transportation projects? Yes.

Will I vehemently oppose tolls in Connecticut because Connecticut citizens are already taxed and “fee’d” far too much?

Will I oppose the resulting creation of a “quasi-public” transportation authority to administer tolls?

And will that authority (if created) likely be populated by six-figure “cronies” and be yet another example of a corrupt and wasteful “quasi-public” agency in Connecticut?

Yes, yes and yes.

And lastly, do I think much of the Connecticut population feels the same way? Also yes.

The sooner the governor truly understands his constituency, all he has to do is ask, the sooner he will offer something in trade, like a lower sales tax, a lower income tax, etc.

James Hagan

Beacon Falls