When the will of the people is ignored, there are consequences. Democrats will have no one to blame but themselves for not heeding this truth come November. Americans nationwide are outraged at the arrogance of the Democrat majority in Washington and it is now time for the people of Connecticut to take stock of our own state. Our fellow Nutmeggers will realize that the Democrat legislative majority in Hartford has delivered little but higher taxes and more regulation over the past 3 decades. Everyone’s battle cry must become Accountability, Transparency and, above all, a commitment to a common-sense way of doing things. The following recap set forth by Connecticut Republicans and State House Republican leader, Larry Cafero, presents the guiding principles all Nutmeggers should pursue:

The bonds of trust between State Government and its people have been broken.

The citizens of Connecticut deserve a State Government that is resident-friendly, provides exceptional service and operates in a more efficient and effective manner. Our State Government is now too big, too intrusive and too quick to spend the public’s money. We need a State Government that stops taking from us and starts working for us.

Connecticut is at a crossroads. From this time forward in Connecticut’s Legislature, all Republican elected officials, both locally and statewide, are prepared to put forth and fight for the following principles and policies:

1. Spend no more than you make.

Government policy should:

a. Reduce spending to what we can reasonably anticipate in revenue without assessing new taxes.

b. Abide by the constitutional spending cap.

2. Borrow only what you can afford to pay back.

Government policy should:

a. Cap bonding levels which result in a debt service of no more than 10% of the annual budget.

b. Borrowing should be restricted for public works projects, including school construction, roads and rails, serving the greater public good and creating jobs for Connecticut workers.

c. Eliminate earmarks. Fund all projects by competitive grant to be awarded based upon measured return on investment (i.e. job creation, economic development).

3. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. But if it’s not working, get rid of it.

Government policy should:

a. All State Government programs must be results-based with a 2-year period of review. If it is not achieving stated results, the program is eliminated. If achieving results, it continues for 2 more years.

4. The more Government tries to do, the less it does well.

Government policy should:

a. Focus on core government functions, such as Public Safety, Education, Transportation, Public health.

b. Strive for excellence in each government function.

c. Privatize non-core functions.

5. We should have all the government we need, but only the government we need.

Government policy should:

a. Consolidate government services to eliminate duplication, excess and waste.

We call on all Connecticut residents to adopt these guidelines and make sure your elected representatives know you expect them to do the same.

Alex Karsanidi