Dan Malloy

[sorrowmonkey]

Last week, I was checking out Dan Malloy's website, and after an (admittedly) cursory examination, I sent him a question:

From: web@danmalloy.com [mailto:web@danmalloy.com]
Sent: Friday, July 14, 2006 9:35 AM
To: Dan Malloy
Subject: Comments


Name:
Nathan Rawling

Email:
[snip]

Address:
[snip]

Phone:
[snip]

Comments:
You are proposing a lot of expensive new programs, both for increased
policing/gun control, and the universal health care programs.

How do you expect to pay for those programs? My community is already bearing
a heavy tax burden, and I'm not sure we can endure much more before people
start leaving.

How Respond:
email

About twenty minutes later, I started getting his press releases, as his staff automatically added me to his mailing list. Today, I received a response:

From:  	Dan Malloy <dan@danmalloy.com>  	
To: 	[snip]
Date: 	Tue Jul 18, 2006 07:39:50 AM PDT
Subject: 	RE: Comments

Nathan,

Thanks for the note. If you read my plans on our website (danmalloy.com
under "issues"), you'll find that each one is tied to a specific funding
source. I ask that you only look at my record in Stamford to understand that
I have a strong history of making the most of every dollar. In my time as
Mayor, I'm proud to say that we have kept tax increases to less than the
cost of living increases every year. Every tax increase that there has been
has gone directly towards education. Meanwhile, we have reduced the size of
city government while providing a higher level of services to our residents.

I think you'll find that I bring a different kind of leadership style to the
table. If you questions about funding for any specific plan, just shoot me a
note back and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Thanks,
Dan

Further investigation of "The Issues" page of his website reveals the following information:

Universal healthcare

This program will be paid for by Medicare, by raising the poverty line:

"The plan provides expanded access to Medicaid by increasing the threshold for adult coverage from 100% of Federal Poverty Level, or FPL (150% FPL for HUSKY parents), to 200% FPL. This initial expansion provides access to coverage for 154,000 of the 303,000 uninsured adults in the state." Basically, this is passing the costs to the federal level.

Later on, he goes on to say, "It subsidizes CT Universal coverage for families and individuals who make up to 300% FPL." This coverage would be paid for with state money.

This, in particular, should terrify small business owners throughout the state:

"Modeled on a program developed in Massachusetts, the "Free-rider fee" will be triggered if, over the course of a year, more than 20% of a company's employees receive free care, or if the free care costs the state over $50,000. Fees will range from 10% to 100% of the cost to the state depending on the severity of a company's over reliance on taxpayers' dollars to provide care to their employees. "

Gun Control

Criminalizing lawful gun owners who are the victims of crime is a hidden cost, primarily in the increase in activity in police departments and courts. I don't see any funds allocated for this cost, but it may be neligible in the greater increase in operating expenses.

1000 New cops

It appears that the theory is that if we spend more on parole programs, we will save more, and thus be able to afford spending more. He wants to increase parole costs by $1500 to save $18500 per inmate by acheiving a 15% reduction in the recidivism rate. I really can't seem to find any other stated source for the $35 million that he intends to spend on cops.

"Clean Energy"

Dan proposes making electricity cheaper:

"Address high cost of electricity – As Governor, I will immediately work to bring Connecticut's electricity energy prices to within the national average. Connecticut's average retail price of electricity ranks us 5th highest in the 50 states plus Washington, D.C. The national average is 8.41 cents per kilowatt-hour and Connecticut is paying 14.03 cents per kilowatt-hour. This is unacceptable."

...but also making it cleaner and renewable:

"I will also propose legislation requiring that by the year 2020, at least 20% of the energy Connecticut consumes be generated from renewable sources. Committing to achieving a "20% by 20" renewable energy goal will go a long way to reducing costs while also improving our environment and Connecticut's quality of life."

He plans to pay for it using already existing surpluses. Usually, I don't count my chickens until they hatch, but apparently the rules are different for politicians.

Comments

[kuzu-no-ha.livejournal.com]

Are you going to start asking specific questions. His statements do not answer anything. Not terribly suprised.
I also appreciate his average guy style of writing. That's lovely. *snort*
So chummy! So salt of the earth!

[nrawling.livejournal.com]

I haven't decided yet. I'm sure he's a nice guy, but everything that works in Stamford isn't going to work for all of Connecticut. I'm particularly concerned at the huge spending plans, since they seem to all be based on revenue that is yet to be realized (estimated cost savings, surpluses, etc).

I can't say that Stamford isn't better now than it was when Dan started, but there are plenty of things that are still very wrong.

any plan

[darthluna.livejournal.com]

that involes counting on surpluses to appear are not good ones.

[nrawling.livejournal.com]

Every time I try that with my checking account, I get these nasty little notes from the bank.

Funny that.