Incumbent Democrat Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, left, and Republican candidate for governor Tom Foley
By Ken Dixon
NEW HAVEN – The final gubernatorial debate focused on personal responsibility and taxes this morning, when Republican Tom Foley defended his personal tax returns, which showed that he paid little in income taxes in recent years.
In a policy announcement, Foley said he would work to end state income taxes for Social Security recipients.
Foley said he also wants to exempt teacher pensions from state taxes, a proposal that Gov. Dannel P. Malloy made earlier this year.
The Greenwich investor said that since his income varies each year, so does his personal tax liability.
“I’ve been a generous taxpayer here in Connecticut,” Foley said.
But Malloy reminded him that Foley “never” released his state tax returns for public scrutiny.
Foley declined to engage further on the issue, then tried to move the focus back to Malloy’s 2011 statewide tax increase, the highest in Connecticut history. “He has one-percent growth in the economy and a 10 percent decrease in wages,” Foley said.
“There’s a real difference between Tom Foley and I,” Malloy countered in the sometimes aggressive debate – the last of seven in the gubernatorial race – broadcast live on WTNH News 8 Connecticut. “We’re trying to make Connecticut stronger.”
“Governor Malloy is a career politician,” Foley said. “He lives in his own unreal world. The citizens are waiting, governor. Everything is not fine in Connecticut. People are feeling the squeeze.”
Malloy said 70,000 private-sector jobs have been created since he took office in 2011, recalling that when he was elected, there was a $3.6-billion deficit. “We asked for shared sacrifice and the people of Connecticut responded quite magnificently,” he said.
“We need tax relief in Connecticut to get the economy going,” Foley said, promising to eliminate income taxes on Social Security and teacher pensions. “I want tax relief in Connecticut. I think the governor said he’s not in favor of it.” In a five-minute back and forth, Foley attempted to get Malloy to say yes to his proposal. But the governor would not take the bait.
Malloy said he has already taken steps to do it. “Why don’t you tell people today that I’m the man who’s doing it,” Malloy said. The governor’s budget proposal earlier this year included a phase-out of taxes on teacher pensions, but the issue did not become part of the final budget as an earlier projected budget surplus evaporated from an unexpected decrease in state revenue.
“Now you’re sitting 48 hours before the election and you’re behind in the polls,” Malloy said. “So yes, Tom, we’re going to go down that road together. Tom is pretending I am not the person who proposed it.”
“Today you won’t make that commitment,” Foley said. “No wonder nobody believes you.”
Malloy said this year there are 12,500 more senior citizens getting housing rebates in a multi-million-dollar effort.
“I just listen to Tom riff off there,” Malloy said. “He tells us he’s going to roll back taxes.” Malloy said he was able to retain state aid for cities and towns, so local police and firefighters did not lose their jobs.
In response to a viewer question, Malloy said that a plan to provide $55 rebates for state taxpayers was shelved because of the falloff in state revenue. “It had appeared that we were going to have sizable additional funds,” Malloy said.
“He hasn’t brought jobs to communities like New Haven and Bridgeport and Hartford,” Foley said, focusing on cities where he was crushed in the 2010 election won by Malloy. “We simply have to do more for the cities. I’m not hearing much confidence about what you’d do in a second term.”
Malloy said in the large cities there is a increase in employment for the first time in decades.
“Making timely investments to sustain growth is very important,” Malloy said. “There was no net job growth for 22 years under Republican governors that you supported, Tom.”
“Governor, this is your economy,” Foley replied, recalling a conversation in Bridgeport with a woman he called Mary Beth, a long-term unemployed person living on an modest inheritance, who plans to leave the state.
“Tom, I have seen your plan and you have nothing there for them,” Malloy rejoined.
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