CT State Rep Tina Courpas, a Republican representing the 149th district of northwest Greenwich and part of Stamford, says Hartford is out of touch with the real world. Here are her observations:
Lack of Budget Accountability. The State budget involves difficult tradeoffs that are not being made. It is a collection of wish lists (e.g. free pre-school for all, free legal help for low-income tenants) with no connection to how we pay for it and how we prioritize.
Greenwich Misconceptions. Legislators view Greenwich residents as NIMBY (exclusionary and racist) when it comes to affordable housing (even though 44% of Greenwich students qualify for discount lunch and 40% identify as non-white). They believe Greenwich does not "do its part" to help the State (even though the town contributes a disproportionate 10% of CT income tax revenue).
Disregard for the Free Market. There is disregard for the free market when it comes to legislation that stimulates the growth of business in CT. They fail to address the hurdles of doing business in CT.
Severely Lopsided Government. Democrats control the governorship, both legislative chambers and key executive offices, giving them a trifecta and super majority. As a result, there is less vetting and lack of accountability and, similar to other states (like California), the results are sub-optimal.
Between the Lines: Rep Courpas did have one positive on her list about the civility of how members interact. However, if taxpayers are getting fleeced, it doesn't matter if they smile while doing it.