CT20X17 Campaign
AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS
We live and work in a terrific state. Connecticut is rich in history and culture, blessed by geography and an enviable quality of life, and home to acclaimed academic institutions and world-class companies.
Connecticut gave the world the typewriter, helicopters, submarines, insurance policies, color television, vulcanized rubber, and the artificial heart. Not to mention can openers, hamburgers, and the Frisbee®.
That legacy of innovation continues, with an educated, skilled, highly productive workforce driving advances in bioscience, aerospace, medical technology, financial services, insurance, healthcare, renewable energy, entertainment, and more.
Yet today, we’re at an economic crossroads. Despite making progress in developing a talented future workforce, reducing energy costs, and cutting red tape, our economic recovery has not kept pace with the national and regional economies. It is critical that we break that pattern and unlock the state’s enormous potential.
And while we face significant challenges, they can be overcome. However, many independent national reports rank our overall business climate among the bottom 10 states. These rankings directly impact business confidence, hampering private sector investment and slowing our economic recovery.
How do we address this? We must nurture our strengths and tackle barriers to growth to make Connecticut one of the best places to do business in the country.
Making Connecticut a top 20 state for business by 2017 will accelerate our economic recovery. That’s why we’re proud to support the CT20x17 campaign and its framework of commonsense policies, including the following:
Talent Fully implement Connecticut education reforms and continue improving public higher education to create a pipeline of skilled talent.
Fiscal Policy Adopt balanced state budgets that support critical public services and stay within taxpayer means, reduce long-term debt, and create a more competitive tax structure.
Transportation Identify and accelerate priority investments in roads, bridges, transit systems, and air and sea ports—and protect the Special Transportation Fund.
Business Costs Reduce the cost of doing business in Connecticut, including lowering energy costs and dropping unnecessary employer mandates.
Red Tape Continue expanding efficiency practices to all areas of government, follow through on comprehensive regulatory reforms, and make state agencies more user-friendly.
We urge our elected officials to work together in a bipartisan manner and make CT20x17 a reality.
We’re also asking you to support the CT20x17 campaign. Ask questions of your elected officials and hold them accountable. Acknowledge that they’ll have to make some tough decisions, and back them when they do.
Everyone benefits. A strong, growing economy means more opportunities for good, well-paying jobs. It means protecting our quality of life. And it means guaranteeing a better future for our children and grandchildren.
#MoveCTUp ct20x17.org