Guest blog By Sean Murphy
In my last commentary,
I discussed what Bob Stefanowski will
face from Republican Party insiders and elected officials. Keep in mind while Republicans won all over
the country since 2010, Connecticut Republicans lost every statewide elected race and could not muster
control in the General Assembly.
The reason for that is incumbent Republicans always do
what they see as the minimum to get re-elected.
They cozy up to local town committees.
They get their state grants, in many cases via bonding for some local
pork project that gets them positive press.
Then after they put their time in, they move on up to a high paying job
and get their outrageous pensions and lifetime health insurance.
First we have a system where elected officials enrich
themselves first and foremost. Recently,
former State Senator Eric Coleman was awarded a position as judge. It will pay him a sumptuous salary and after 20
years of total service in government, including his legislative tenure, he will
get a pension of 90% based on his last three years.
People in both parties abuse these preferments.
The system is so corrupt that the General Assembly will not even consider ending a pension on mileage reimbursement, peanuts in the larger scheme of things, but a perfect representation of how elected officials milk the system for every cent they can take.
These abuses are present at the local level too. We see stories all the time of double dipping
and pension padding. The people abusing
the system will fight tooth and nail to stop reforms, much like former law
enforcement officials in DC who make millions off their classified information
clearance access.
Secondly, we have a system where the political elites and
their connected fat-cat cronies get special treatment that we commoners do
not. It is well publicized that Governor
Malloy’s son committed a home invasion with a firearm and only received
probation. The commoners would be in jail.
Since that time, Malloy through Mike Lawlor, whom he appointed
Undersecretary for Criminal Justice Policy and Planning at the Office of Policy
and Management, has created a system of early release for prisoners.
Perhaps the worst example is the refusal to pass parental
notification on abortion. The bill was
designed to do two things: address sex trafficking and statutory rape. A few Republicans co-sponsored the bill but ran for the hills when the abortion crowd came and screamed.
Parental notification is not about attacking a “woman’s
right to choose;” it is about protecting pregnant underage girls who are
victims of a crime.
We also are inundated with abuses of crony capitalism and
corporate welfare. The First Five
program allowed the state to give our tax money in handouts to Big Business for
keeping jobs here. Ironically, the Democrats thereby proved lower taxes keep businesses in the state. We see stories regularly where Governor
Malloy cuts deals in which the state loans money to private businesses without
even a requirement to pay it back.
Thirdly, the flagrant waste of money must end. Governor Malloy decided to borrow $10 million
to study tolls outside of the legislative process when studies already have been done. Yet again King Dannel
Malloy does whatever he wants. The
Democrats are doing nothing to stop tolls.
Thankfully Joe Markley is suing over this. By the way, where are the rest of the
Republicans?
We have the Hartford to New Britain busway that loses $20
million a year. Too bad the Assembly quashed Joe Markley’s bill to name it after Malloy.
The ruling class in Hartford of both parties has been derelict in their duties for decades. They split up the pie for themselves and their fat cat cronies. Meanwhile, people who are not connected -- small business owners and working class folks -- have been treated like Kevin Bacon in Animal House. No more “Thank you sir may I have another.”
The ruling class in Hartford of both parties has been derelict in their duties for decades. They split up the pie for themselves and their fat cat cronies. Meanwhile, people who are not connected -- small business owners and working class folks -- have been treated like Kevin Bacon in Animal House. No more “Thank you sir may I have another.”
All of these issues are not right or left, but right or wrong.
If the Republicans do not go on offense now, we are going
to see weekly stories about how Bob Stefanowski attended a fundraiser with
someone that some liberal feels is a racist.
Let the Democrats defend why they do not care about girls
who are victims of sexual crimes. Let
them defend borrowing money for wasteful pet projects. Let them own the crony capitalism and
corporate welfare. Let them own
sanctuary cities, while Republicans are out talking about real children separated permanently from their parents: Americans like Katie Steinle and Mollie Tibbets.
Republicans have lost every statewide race during the
national boom. Why? It requires a backbone to go out and fight
for what it right. The time was 2010,
but they can still start now.
Sean Murphy is a Connecticut political activist.
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