Stefanowski: It’s The Economy, Folks

Bob Stefanowski is willing to discuss abortion and guns. But what he really wants to talk about? Gas prices and inflation.

The Republican candidate for governor answered questions on all those subjects in a conversation on WNHH FM’s ​“Dateline New Haven” about his current rematch campaign against Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont.

The conversation reflected the tenor of not just Connecticut’s campaigns but those taking place nationally this year: Republicans are hoping that current polling holds and they can ride public concerns about inflation and the economy in general to a 2010-style wave election. Democrats are hoping that recent Supreme Court decisions limiting abortion rights while expanding gun rights combined with revelations from the Jan. 6 Congressional hearings will energize their base and bring back swing voters who have drifted Republican-ward over the past two years.

In the process, each side is seeking to portray itself as moderate and the competition as ​“extremist.” That matters in Connecticut, where unaffiliated voters can ultimately decide who wins statewide elections. According to the most recent statistics available from the Secretary of the State’s Office, Connecticut has 909,331 registered unaffiliated voters, 800,834 registered Democrats, and 453,144 registered Republicans (not to mention 30,712 registered Independent Party members, 3,334 Libertarians, 1,227 Greens, 309 Working Families Partiers, and 4 remaining registrants under the ​“A Connecticut Party” banner created by former Gov. Lowell Weicker).

Highlights of Tuesday’s ​“Dateline” conversation with Stefanowski (edited for clarity) follow. 

Stefanowski: When you look at what’s on people’s minds, giving the parents the right to raise their kids, getting government out of the way, when you look at inflation, gas prices … Think about, it. We’ve got a Democratic president, Democratic Congress, Democratic Senate, Democratic governor in Connecticut, Democratic ticket, Democratic House and Democratic state senate, and look at where the economy is. You can try to blame it on someone else. But when you hold basically every seat of power, you’ve got to live with your record. And I don’t think the record has been that good.

WNHH: When you first ran in 2018, Trump was wildly unpopular in Connecticut. 2018 was the first time people upset with Trump got to vote against somebody; they voted against you. Now you’re running against a Democratic incumbent at a time when a Democratic president is highly unpopular. You’re not the only Republican governor candidate talking about the ​“Biden-Slash,” in this case ​“Biden-Lamont” inflation and gas prices. Is that fair?

I think it is, Paul, when you look at what causes inflation. One of the things that cause inflation is excessive government spending. And you look at the budget when Gov. Lamont came in versus the last budget he passed, he’s spending more than $1,000 more per person in the state of Connecticut. We got $6 billion of Covid money from the federal government, which is our tax dollars as well. I think the spending is out of control in Connecticut. That absolutely contributes to inflation.

People on all sides of the political divide agree that it wasn’t necessarily for bad motives that the last round of stimulus did fuel inflation — that’s what [Democratic former Treasury Secretary] Larry Summers was warning about; there were needs they were meeting with that spending, but they warned it would cause the economy to heat up. How much of that is at the state level? Lamont would say that Wall Street’s happy with him. We have a surplus, the books are balanced, taxes have gone done … so what’s the issue with his management? Do you think it’s still fueling inflation?

Well, a couple of corrections. Not corrections, but points I’d make. Taxes are not down since he came into office. Gov. Lamont raised taxes by $1.8 billion and he recently cut them by $0.6 billion …

… because he canceled tax cuts that were already in the works [to expire] …

… Part of it was canceled. Part of it was a food tax. Part of it was a tax on plastic bags. Part of it was a tax on DVD downloads. So he increased taxes close to $2 billion. He doesn’t like to talk about that in a campaign year, for obvious reasons. And then he cut them by .6. So he’s a net tax increaser. (Click here to read a story laying out the two perspectives offered by Democrats and Republicans on whether it’s accurate to say Lamont has ​“raised” or ​“cut” taxes.)

Wall Street’s happy. Our bond rating has gone up. They’re saying, ​“You’re managing well.”

It’s almost laughable. If somebody gave you $6 billion that you didn’t expect was coming, do you think you’d balance your budget?

I get it. He’s in the office. He got a break. But please don’t go around saying you’re a big tax cutter, especially when you’re about to raise the taxes on diesel gas on July 1.

I don’t think the majority of people in Connecticut truly believe Ned Lamont’s campaign commercial that he’s a tax cutter. ​‘Cause he’s not.

"Biden Won The Election. Let’s Move On"

[Listener] Tim Withington asks the question: ​“So we know the election was fair and there was no fraud, why did you not ask Trump to stop his anti-democratic claims that there was? If you can’t defend democracy from the like of a Trump, how are women to expect for you to defend abortion rights here in Connecticut?”

Republicans nationwide are talking about inflation and gas prices. They say those are the issues that are mattering most to Americans. In fairness, those are the issues you’re strongest on in these campaigns. The Democrats are hoping the conversation is about abortion and guns because of polls showing people agreeing more with the Democratic positions. You just saw through that question how the Democrats are trying to frame it, right? So what’s your response about the Jan. 6 hearings and abortion?

If you’re running for a state race, which I am, we’re fortunate to have, in my view, the right laws around both abortion and gun control. The Democrats are going to want to fear-monger for the next four months because they don’t want to talk about inflation. I believe we should enforce the laws that are on the book about the Second Amendment. They are the toughest in the nation. I said I was going to enforce them. (Click here to read a previous story about the two campaigns’ back and forth on gun control.)

With respect to abortion, I’ve come out and said I’ll support that law. The one difference I do have with Gov. Lamont is that I think parents have a right to be involved when their child is going through a decision like that. Gov. Lamont doesn’t think that a 14-year-old girl who is going through a tough decision like that has any reason to talk to her parents about it.

A 14-year-old who’s raped by a stepfather ….

Rape and incest should be an exception. …

In term of parental notification?

Yes. Absent that, I think a parent should have right to know that a girl under the age of 16 is having that discussion and have some input into it.

Joe Biden won the election. He’s the president. Let’s move on. There’s a bunch of hearings as to what happened on that day. If Trump is implicated, he should be held accountable. I’m running for governor of Connecticut. This is exactly what the Democrats want to do. They don’t want to mention the fact that Ned Lamont is raising the taxes on gas in two days. We’re going to hold him accountable.

Talkin' Tax Cuts

So let’s talk about that. The way the Republicans have phrased it is that the tax cuts aren’t enough. They sunset after the election. The way the Democrats frame it is that it’s irresponsible to cut too much and cut into the rainy day fund. On Friday diesel taxes go back up. They’re letting expire a short-term cut. They’re not raising taxes; they’re not keeping going a tax cut that was temporary. Is that a fair way to put it?

Gov. Lamont runs the state. He could have called a special session. He’s got a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate. He could have stopped the diesel tax form going up. It’s as simple as that. It was totally within his power. 

By the way, he’s got $3.5 billion of our money that could have well funded to do it.

The rainy day fund had been underfunded in the past. Isn’t it good when we get a bounty to put some of it aside [for the rainy day fund and] to pay [down] pensions?

I’m all for saving money. But it’s raining in Connecticut. I was in New Haven a few weeks ago meeting with some people, and I don’t think it’s that different in the suburbs or other cities. People are making decisions about between buying food, gas, or prescription medicines. And I think that it’s unconscionable that we’re sitting on a $3.5 billion up there — and rumor has it that there’s going to be another $3 billion surplus coming out of this budget — and [not] giving people relief.

In our youth, Bob, it was the Republicans — a different kind of Republican Party — who said put money away for a rainy day. And the Democrats said, ​“Let’s spend it ​‘cause it’s raining.”

Well it’s certainly raining now, Paul. I saw a thing on CNBC. This is nationally, not Connecticut: 53 percent of the people are living paycheck to paycheck. Inflation at a 40-year high. Gas prices that we have never even seen before. Shortages of food. It’s bad! And we have the ability to do something to make it easier for Connecticut residents. We need to do it.

Cut the sales tax. Get rid of the diesel tax. Don’t only not raise it. Get rid of it. Get rid of the whole 43 cents. Because the problem is you’re taxing the trucks — they’re not going to eat that cost. They’re going to pass it down in the cost of goods and services. That’s inflation.

So Bob, as you know, when President Biden suggested having a holiday on the gas tax, there was a consensus among economists that it actually wouldn’t have the impact he’s saying. That it’s a phony move because in fact the prices could go up: If more people drive because gas costs less, [by] the law of supply and demand, the price would go up.

In fact we’ve had this gas tax holiday here in Connecticut. Under 60 percent of the benefit of the gas tax cut has gone to the consumer at the pump. Maybe that’s OK? Maybe that’s enough? But what do you say to people who say that both parties are engaged in campaign gimmickry? That when you do these tax cuts at the pump, they don’t have a purpose; they just show you care about much tougher problems?

First of all they do have an impact, whether it’s 100 percent or 80 percent. 

Second of all, we’re going into the Fourth of July. I’m hearing stories about people canceling vacations. They can’t afford to drive to Maine. We’re sitting on a $3.5‑plus billion surplus. Would it really be the end of the world for the state of Connecticut to suspend the gas tax, suspend the diesel tax, lower the sales tax. Start to give people relief so they can enjoy their summer and be able to afford food.

If we had a $3.5 billion deficit, maybe not. But if you look at this governor: He just handed out $6 billion across the state. I don’t know where the money went! We should have accountability for that.

You have people really struggling right now. I don’t know how he wakes up in the morning and says, ​“I’ve got the ability to help them, but I’ve decided not to.” It makes no sense to me.