Business Agency’s Government Affairs Agenda Outlines A Plan Jobs

HARTFORD — Three things are certain about Connecticut’s economy, according to the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA): it is going to change, it will either grow or contract, and we can do something about it. But Connecticut is at risk, if right decisions are not made, says the association.

CBIA’s 2011 Government Affairs Agenda provides a plan for Connecticut by addressing the critical issues needed to move the state in the right direction. CBIA is the state’s largest business organization, with 10,000 members.

“Policymakers must understand that private sector investment is the key to job creation and economic growth,” says John R. Rathgeber, CBIA president and CEO. “Getting people back to work and moving our economy forward will provide the resources needed to solve Connecticut’s fiscal problems and allow the state to continue to provide critical services.”

Most candidates for state office ran on promises to pursue a pro-jobs, pro-economic-growth agenda. CBIA stands ready to help move that agenda forward and when necessary, point out when elected officials’ policy decisions run counter to the goal of promoting business investment and job creation in Connecticut.

“The success of the new administration and legislature should be measured by the performance of the Connecticut economy relative to the national and regional economies,” says Joseph F. Brennan, CBIA senior vice president of public policy. “Policymakers must be accountable to the people of Connecticut.”

CBIA encourages lawmakers to work with the business community to advance the economy and put people back to work by focusing on these priorities:

*Create a two-year state budget that reduces the size and cost of state government and increases accountability while improving the delivery of services.

*Promote tax policy that encourages business investment, innovation, and productivity.

*Support the recommendations of the Connecticut Commission on Educational Achievement to help close the state’s achievement gap.

*Reduce health care costs, improve quality, and increase access while maintaining a strong private sector marketplace.

*Encourage employers to maintain or create jobs in Connecticut by avoiding new workplace mandates or higher personnel costs.

*Continue to improve Connecticut’s transportation infrastructure to relieve congestion within the state and better connect with regional, national, and international markets.

“The decisions won’t be easy, but policymakers need to take the right steps necessary to get people back to work,” says Mr Rathgeber. “They need to put the welcome mat out for small businesses and large corporations to let them know they are wanted and needed in the state, and that their concerns about the state’s fiscal policy, business costs, and regulatory burdens — that make it harder to do business in Connecticut — will be addressed.”