Press release issued last night by Jill Fitzgerald, the GOP candidate in the 77th House District, where she is running against Democrat Chris Wright:
With many middle class Bristol families struggling financially because of soaring electricity, heating oil and gasoline prices, 77th District Republican candidate Jill Fitzgerald today urged state legislators to approve several energy relief proposals that were unveiled at a capitol news conference Tuesday.
The Connecticut General Assembly will meet in special session Friday to act on measures to address high heating oil costs. The initiatives announced Tuesday by Republican legislators are in addition to proposals developed by Governor Rell and other lawmakers that are expected to be considered during the special session.
The GOP proposals would use an additional $9 million from the state surplus to increase the Operation Fuel account to $15 million to help middle class families earning up to $94,000 a year and add $5 million to the Energy Conservation and Load Management Fund.
“Many middle-income families in Bristol who already are struggling with record-high gasoline prices and rising electricity costs will be facing real financial hardship because of sharp increases in the cost of home heating oil, said Fitzgerald who attended the news conference on Tuesday. “I’m hoping aid for the neediest among us as well as for middle income families will be approved on Friday.”
"The proposals that were unveiled by House Republican Leader Larry Cafero and Senate Republican leader John McKinney at Tuesday’s news conference were offered in a bipartisan spirit and are intended to make the heating cost proposals that will be considered Friday more comprehensive and compassionate,” Fitzgerald said. "Many middle class families whose incomes make them ineligible for current state and federal heating assistance programs will be hard-pressed to find the extra money needed to keep their families warm this winter without some help from the state.”
‘One of the Republican proposals would give small businesses some badly-needed tax relief this winter as well,” Fitzgerald said. “Small businesses, which provide most of the jobs in the Greater Bristol area and elsewhere in the state, also are having trouble staying afloat in today’s economy. Substantially higher energy prices are increasing the cost of doing business in Connecticut and forcing consumers to cut back on their spending. Small business owners are increasingly being forced to make some difficult choices in order to survive, including layoffs and hiring freezes. The Republican proposal to increase the electricity sales tax exemption for businesses would give them badly-needed breathing room and help preserve jobs.”
“Almost everyone is hurting because of high energy costs,” Fitzgerald said. “Bristol residents and families throughout the state will be best served if the state legislature acts in a bipartisan manner and votes on all of the proposals that will be offered during the special session based on their merits – not on who proposes them.”
The Republican initiatives would:
• Expand Operation Fuel to provide $15 million in home heating assistance for working and middle-class families. The measure would allow a family of four earning up to $94,000 a year to qualify for assistance under the program.
• Provide $3 million to help struggling families pay their electric bills.
• Increase the electricity sales tax exemption for small businesses from $150 to $500 per month.
• Add $5 million to the Energy Conservation and Load Management Fund, which rewards conservation efforts, to help make small businesses and homes more energy efficient.
• Cap the wholesale price of gasoline subject to the state’s Gross Receipts Tax at $3.42 a gallon to prevent built-in increases in the tax when the price of gasoline goes up.
“If these proposals are not adopted during Friday’s special session, I will make enacting them one of my top priorities for the 2009 legislative session if the people of the 77th District elect me to be their voice at the State Capitol in Hartford,” Fitzgerald said.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
32 comments:
Get used to it girl....majority rules not the republicans.
August 21, 2008 10:00 AM:
You may be right. And it appears that the "majority" has created one of the most costly, anti-business, anti-free enterprise, pro-left-wing-union states in the country.
Yay!
So basically the no none sense approach is running our state?
I am a middle-income family in Bristol who is struggling with record-high college tuition and college housing cost and will be facing real financial hardship because I am being taxed to death, locally by the state and by the federal government. If you took your hand out of my pocket, maybe I could afford college for my kids and have a little left over to give to charitable organizations that would help with the families struggling with whatever.
maybe if you directed your attention to the staggering rise in college tuitions, activity fees etc., you could focus your frustration across the board.
Maybe you should get real and be a idividual and stop listening to these cry babies. Anti my you know what. Old stuff they keep losing on.
THis blog is so full of SPECIAL interests. Very narrow.
Well I guess she is going to be just another one of them.
If the republicans have their way there won't be any middle income. They think the pee ons are the ones who make them rich !......They do !
Record high college tuition? The taxpayers pay up to 90% of the tuition to state schools. Suck it up you oevrly entitled whiners!
Thanks to the Dumb-o-crats Connecticut has the highest electricity costs in the entire country.
Yay again!
"I am a middle-income family in Bristol who is struggling with record-high college tuition and college housing cost and will be facing real financial hardship because I am being taxed to death, locally by the state and by the federal government. If you took your hand out of my pocket, maybe I could afford college for my kids and have a little left over to give to charitable organizations that would help with the families struggling with whatever."
Local tax solution - stop tying local school funding to local taxes. If a red state like Missouri can do it so can we.
State tax solution - Stop bonding for pork barrel spending. The largest line item in the state budget is not social programs or "anti-business" "pro-left wing" initiatives. It's debt.
"maybe if you directed your attention to the staggering rise in college tuitions, activity fees etc., you could focus your frustration across the board."
Amen to this...state colleges keep burning students, and their parents, by raising the fees (and there are many) across the board. I pay 70 bucks alone for an activity fee on a campus that has almost no social activity and what little they have is at a time I couldn't attend if I wanted to.
All this why paying almost 4 bucks for gas.
Oh yea before I forget - Proposals introduced by Cafero and McKinney = Dead on Arrival. Good luck Ms. Fitzgerald.
Jill, you have to find out what the people in Bristol want, not what he people in Hartford are telling you to say.
You don't think people are concerned about this winter and their heating bills? I think this is exatcly what people want. Go Jill!!!!
Elect this lady. She is smart and sane.
WRIGHT IS WRONG FOR BRISTOL!
Seems like MS. Fitzgerald is falling into the same trap that Bobroske did, listening to Hartford.
8/21 9:47 P.M. - If memory serves me correctly, the de-regulation of electricity that has led to those high rates was the brainchild of Governor Johnny Rowland. I'll grant you that the Dems didn't do too much to stop him!
12:39
I agreee, Hartford looks out for their agenda, not ours.
Looks like they have another pawn.
"there (sic) dumb blame game"
"they aren't honest or couragious (sic)"
"De (sic) regulate some more"
To bad you don't know correct English "August 23, 2008 6:08 AM".
Looks like you're a typical ignorant, improperly or un-educated Democrat voter/supporter. Don't worry your veto-proof majority will win and keep handing you your entitlements so you won't have to better yourself (if that's even possible).
So I guess you think that the Democrats are as good as it gets6:24 . Anything is better than you you (coward) Still at the whining I see.And better yourself ? Ha I guess nobody agrees with you except you and your couple of self rightious republican hacks.
2:53 Even if what you said was true at least they have an agenda and they are not like you trying to convince the whole wotrld is wrong but you . We consider the source.
I've now seen it all. The Republicans actually support extending a government handout program to include families making up to $93,000 a year. Perhaps families at that salary level could cut back on their cell phone usage to afford to heat their homes this winter. It is utter nonsense to give them our hard earned tax dollars.
6:10
But is Hartfords agenda what Bristol needs?
so you are against giving the middle class a break and helping them with the rising cost of energy. 93,000 is not a big number in a 2 income household, I know a lot of couples who bring in around this number and they are very much middle class and pay tax also. In fact many of them live in Bristol!! It is their hard earned tax dollars also.
Just another republicant. Controlled by these republican few ! Phonies as usual . Boo Hoo !!
6:40 You should have told Ms. Fitzgerald the truth (we know you can't do that though) That it's not wwhat the people in Hartford want "it's what you phonies want"
Why aren't we suprised ? Fitzgerald just joined the reanks of these cowards.(snipers)
too bad that we don't have legisltors/voters with the balls to tell these whoremasters to legislate with the taxpayers welfare in mind.
how many years have the same abusers, described as party loyalists, milked the syatem?
screw you all if the only thing that you ae going to do is dream instead of being responsible - by the way, if you are still on-line - the harbor is getting ready to close.
Awwww are you saying your going to cry off line? You must be going back to My Space where the rest of the nuts are .
Jill,
Where are you going to get all this money?
Spend more but CAP a revenue source.
Makes no sense to me.
Oh well the republicans are done with their convention. Now watch the nasties come out!
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