Political Capitol

Stamford’s legislative Democrats and Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk in 2007 helped thwart an effort by their party in Hartford to raise income taxes on higher wage earners starting with households earning $250,000.

The bill passed but was vetoed by Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell. And the Stamford folks and Duff refused to support a veto override, killing the legislation. It’s something they frequently reminded voters about when running for re-election last fall.

Now that progressive income tax proposal is officially back on the table and a major part of the Democratic majority’s two-year budget proposal put forth today.

During a morning press conference I asked Rep. Cameron Staples, D-New Haven, a Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee co-chairman, why he thinks there will be greater support this time around for the hike, particularly from those same Democrats who revolted in 2007.

His basic argument – times and the economy have changed.

2007 was a period when the state was still enjoying a robust surplus, as opposed to the potentially $9 billion deficit lawmakers are trying to dig themselves out of.

“The circumstances are going to require people to make tougher votes than they had to before,” Staples said.

UPDATE:

One Democrat from lower Fairfield County who will for now go unnamed is already not too happy with being asked to back the tax hikes. They said “it’s like Ground Hog Day” referring to the Bill Murray comedy in which his character wakes up to relive the same day over and over.

I was speaking to Rep. Livvy Floren, R-Greenwich today, about various issues and asked her what she expects from the Democrats’ budget when party leaders unveil the two-year spending plan tomorrow in the Finance and Appropriations committees.

Floren, who has a seat on Finance, said she expects a hike in the income tax on wealthy residents in lower Fairfield County similar to that being enacted in New York.

“We’re the ‘fiscal pinata‘,” Floren said. “It will be another case of ‘wack the wealthy’.”

Rep. Kim Fawcett, D-Fairfield, said if Democratic leaders propose an income tax hike it will not go over well with some members of their caucus like herself.

“There’s going to be a lot of push back on the taxes thing,” Fawcett said. “It’s not just going to be a Republican issue.”

Earlier this week Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who recently taped an episode of “Dr. Phil” headed on over to the far-less friendly Glenn Beck program on FOX to talk about the AIG bonuses.

Those of you who didn’t grow up in Connecticut may not know it, but Beck spent some of his earlier career here. He was a morning host on KC 101, an FM station out of Hamden that plays top 40/pop music, through much of the 1990s and maybe even the late 1980s. The show began as the “Glenn and Pat” program and later, after Pat left, Glenn was joined by a guy named Vinnie Penn.

The show started off with prank calls and joke songs and the like, but I recall in the later years Beck became more of the straight man and tended to try and discuss more serious topics. So looking back it makes sense he ended up where he is now.

Blumenthal was elected Attorney General in 1990. I’ll have to find out if he recalls ever meeting Beck when he worked in Connecticut.