From Rep. Camillo

The CT House of Representatives is debating bills this session such as Paid Sick Leave and government-run healthcare. These are the priorities of the House Democratic leadership. Now, one might say this is a strange agenda to bring forth when Connecticut is in the middle of the worst economic decline since the 1930s. The former would affect any company with over 50 employees. If they have, say, 57 employees, to avoid this costly mandate, they would undoubtedly terminate the employment of seven employees. I wonder what those hypothetical seven employees would pick if the choice was paid sick leave or secure job?

Regarding the latter, if the State of Connecticut were to offer insurance under the guise of offering competition, how would private insurance companies be able to compete with the government? Remember, if a privae sector company goes in to the red, it goes out of businees.If the government does the same, it will dip in to the General Fund to cover is losses. Guess where the money in the General Fund comes from?

Instead of reforming governement to become more lean, efficient, and effective, the state Democrats have focused on the above, with a smattering of such vitally important bills like Blower Ball, Paint Ball, Water Lettuce, and the initiative to call food stamps something other than food stamps! You can't make this stuff up!

The Connecticut Democrats certainly have a right to run the show as they please. They have won the majority of elections across the state and with victory comes control. Until we change that, we will have to live with the results of the previous election cycles.

With a popular Governor most likely heading the CT GOP ticket in 2010, with a severely wounded and tarnished Sen. Chris Dodd facing the biggest challenge of his 30 plus year career, and with a line up of energized Republicans running across the Nutmeg landscape, the opportunity is there to retake our state and make it a leader in jobs, new, cleaner technologies, and affordable living.

The ball is in our court.

Fred Camillo
State Representative
151st District