House Republican Press Release

 

 

 

September 24, 2007

Press Office: 860-240-8700

 

Rep. Noujaim opposes $3.1 Billion Bonding Bill

 

Package Calls for Excessive  Spending; Will Mortgage Futures of Children and Grandchildren

 

The bonding measure that was proposed (Senate Bill 1501) last week endorses excessive spending that will significantly increase the state debt and mortgage the futures of our children and grandchildren, said state Representative Selim Noujaim, who opposed the legislation.

Representative Noujaim supported a fiscally responsible alternative bond package drafted by House Republicans.

“As a fiscally conservative state legislator, I simply could not support the bond package that was presented to us by the majority party,” said Representative Noujaim, R-Waterbury. “The $3.1 billion in excessive spending this legislation authorizes is significantly higher than the $2.6 billion originally proposed”.

 “The state currently spends 11 cents of every tax dollar collected to service the state debt. If every project this bill authorizes is ultimately approved by the State Bond Commission, it could increase the state debt to the point that about 18 cents of every tax dollar could go toward paying down the state debt,” Representative Noujaim said. “It would mortgage the futures of our children and grandchildren and that is unacceptable to me. I could not in good conscience support this package. The excessive spending it authorizes would impose an impossible burden on the people of Connecticut that we simply cannot afford.”

Representative Noujaim noted that although the bond package authorizes funding for some Waterbury projects, several of them have been included in previous bond packages but have never been approved by the State Bond Commission, which has the final say on whether bonding for the projects will be approved and enable them to finally get off the drawing board.

“While the Waterbury projects the bond package authorized are badly-needed, many of them were included in previous bonding bills but never received final approval by the State Bond Commission,” Representative Noujaim said. “In addition, the funding authorized was insufficient to pay the full cost of the projects. For example, the $1.5 million authorized for improvements to the Silas Bronson Library had been included in a previous bond package, but never received final approval by the Bond Commission. Even if this funding receives final approval, it is insufficient to complete the work at the library. The original request for the library project totaled $5 million.”