Sean Scanlon in his days before he became state comptroller.Ĭandelora, who noted that he and Scanlon had both represented parts of Guilford, said the issue is important to every town in Connecticut. Johnathon Henninger / Special to The CourantState Rep. They’re going to benefit labor, our struggling towns, and taxpayers.” What you end up with are good results, bipartisan results, and that’s what we have here. It’s amazing what happens when you have conversation and collaboration and an agreement to stay in the room. “Sean is somebody who will sit down and work with all stakeholders on whatever issue,” Kelly said. Kelly echoed the words of Ritter, saying Scanlon’s operating style was “exactly what you described.” Comptroller Sean Scanlon outlines pension reforms with members of a working group and others. In an unusual gathering at a time of polarized politics, Scanlon also stood with Senate Republican leader Kevin Kelly of Stratford and House Republican leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford. Ritter, who makes the final determination on which bills are debated in the House, promised to pass a bill that moves the pension agreement into law. It can hurt your feelings and make you not know why sometimes you’re doing what you’re doing. It requires having to sit at a table for a lot of hours and sometimes exchange harsh words. Because it requires talking to people you may not always agree with. “But they never, ever take the opportunity or the burden of trying to solve complicated problems that have a lasting impact on the state, municipalities, mayors, first selectmen and workers. “A lot of people in politics run around, go to every press conference, and they say they’re for things,” Ritter said. Three years ago, Ritter said that he knew he was making the correct choice when he chose Scanlon as the co-chairman of the powerful finance committee that handles tax policy. He brought together labor, Republicans and Democrats.” He mentioned something about a deal that hasn’t been reached for a very long time. “It’s sort of this premise that who is this guy? Is he going to be able to do the job of a constitutional officer? Well, if you have any doubts about his abilities and his skills, look around you. “I think the first question he was asked is: how old are you?” Ritter said. They worked closely together when Scanlon served as a Democratic state legislator before being elected last November as comptroller. House Speaker Matt Ritter of Hartford, one of the most powerful lawmakers at the Capitol, said that Scanlon is proving himself as he has steps onto a bigger, statewide stage. Susan Bysiewicz and State Senator Paul Formica. Ned Lamont signed a bill that cut the gasoline tax. Mark Mirko/The Hartford CourantDuring his days as a legislator in 2022, Scanlon stands in Hartford after Gov. This system has been around since the Harry Truman administration, and nobody has ever reformed this.’ That was music to my ears because that old, broken way of Connecticut government has got to end.” “‘This is the third rail of Connecticut politics. “When I started this process, people frankly laughed, and they said, ‘You will never, ever, ever get those people to agree on anything,’ ” Scanlon said. Some officials had viewed the problem as intractable and costly, but Scanlon told the coalition that they could solve it. The costs had skyrocketed by 75% over the past five years, causing fiscal concerns among mayors and first selectmen. Scanlon, 36, cobbled together a diverse coalition of Democrats and Republicans that hatched the deal in six meetings over six weeks as they tackled the long-running, complicated problem of reining in costs on municipal pensions. Ned Lamont and other top officials at a news conference at the state Capitol to hail a bipartisan compromise to save millions of dollars on municipal pensions. In his highest profile move yet, Scanlon joined with Gov. The state comptroller’s office can be overlooked as an arcane backwater for policy wonks working behind the scenes, crunching the numbers, and overseeing the nuts and bolts of state spending.īut Democrat Sean Scanlon has stepped forward in his first four months on the job by traveling around the state, greeting voters, and speaking out on multiple issues.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |