Consider Connecticut Nick Names

Connecticut is known as the Constitution State, but as the disappointing 2011 session of the Connecticut General Assembly draws to a close, it may be time to revisit that nickname.

Our state has taken a sharp turn to the left on a variety of issues.  That's a fact, and it is reflected in the fiscal and social policies that are being enacted.

These new laws will take Connecticut in exactly the wrong direction.  Instead of making our streets safer, right-sizing government and getting spending under control, we are jeopardizing public safety, going on a spending spree and making it more expensive to live and work in this state.

My Republican colleagues and I have fought these shortsighted initiatives at every turn.  Unfortunately, we are under One Party Rule in Hartford.  Democrats run the show.  The governor is a Democrat and they hold the majorities in the House and Senate.

With that in mind, some have suggested to me that we change our state's nickname to a more appropriate slogan which reflects the actions taken at our State Capitol and the times we are living in.

The suggestions are:

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  1. The Paid Sick Leave State - in honor of being the first state to make the job-killing decision to mandate sick time for private employers.
  2. The Up In Smoke State - in honor of the decriminalization of marijuana.
  3. The Get Out of Jail Early State - in honor of enabling violent felons to be eligible for early release from prison.
  4. The Big Spender State - in honor of the the state’s operating budget going up more than $1 billion over the next two years.
  5. The Tax Me State - in honor of the $3.7 billion in new income, sales and property taxes we will have to pay over the next two years.
  6. The Magic Bus State - in honor of the $572 million for a road just for buses connecting New Britain to Hartford.
  7. The Fudge the Numbers State - in honor of the governor's budget gimmicks, such as the State Employee Suggestion Box, which he claims will "save" all of us $180 million.
  8. The Still Not Open for Business State - in honor of the doubling of the tax on Connecticut businesses.
  9. The Bail Out State - in honor of the governor's push to spend $864 million for the transformation of the money-losing University of Connecticut Health Center.
  10. The Make a Run for the Border State - in honor of the businesses and jobs that have left Connecticut for Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York in the past three months.
  
  

Maybe you have some thoughts on a new state nickname.  I urge you to send me your ideas at michael.mclachlan@cga.ct.gov.  Let's see if we can get this Top Ten List expanded. 

If you can't think of a new state nickname now, just give it time.  Your creativity may be sparked next month, as you see more money taken out of your paychecks to fund the largest tax increase in Connecticut history.  Maybe you will think of some new nicknames later this year, when you begin to see some of the most dangerous members of our society released early from Connecticut jails.  Maybe you will gain inspiration in the coming years, when you see your tax dollars funding billion-dollar boondoggles.

In the meantime, I urge you to not forget what the Democrat Party did to your state in 2011.  Their actions have effectively lowered that which we cherish so much: our quality of life. 

So please remember their names and hold them accountable for their voting records.  After all, you and your children will be paying for the damage they have done for many years to come.

Sen. McLachlan (R-Danbury) represents Bethel, Danbury, New Fairfield and Sherman.