TO: Jeff Kurz- Editor, Record Journal
FROM: Lou Arata
DATE: February 14, 2020
RE: Toll Chicanery
It’s been announced by the Democrat majority leaders in Hartford, that House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz and Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney will bypass the longstanding norms of Connecticut parliamentary procedure and hold a “simultaneous vote” to pass Gov. Ned Lamont’s grandest wish- reintroduction of tolls into Connecticut’s revenue stream.
Against overwhelming opposition to the idea of tolls by the electorate, the state government will again do what it wants to do, and not follow the directives of the public.
This sneaky, subversive pending action reminds me of wacky judges who decide upon themselves to legislate from the bench, instead of following and implementation of legislation passed by the House and Senate, as they have sworn an oath to do.
SHAME ON ALL OF THEM.
Unfortunately, too, shame on those who continuously vote these same people into office- lying officials supposedly being elected to represent our best interests.
It is quite apparent that in all of these various and forever changing plans of Gov. Lamont, never in any public offering has there been a word regarding more efficient spending and elimination of waste within our DOT or management of the Special Transportation Fund. Much has been offered by the Republican minority regarding alternative funding for our needed infrastructure without the need for one toll. The truth is that our elected majority party has overseen the robbing of what should be dedicated tax revenue for our transportation needs, to fund other general fund projects. I might suggest that seems almost unconstitutional, no?
While we sit and watch the elected officials disfunction and chicanery, it is upon each and every one of us to raise our dissatisfaction with every one of our legislators and declare our objection to this obvious additional taxation on the citizens of Connecticut.