Hartford Business Journal

6 Hartford Business Journal • December 3, 2018 • www.HartfordBusiness.com CEO-led commission renews calls for state fiscal, economic reforms By Joe Cooper jcooper@hartfordbusiness.com A high-profile commission aimed at solving Connecticut's fiscal crisis and improving the state's economy has released a second round of recommendations to curb the state's multibillion-dollar deficit and jump- start growth. The 14-member Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth, launched through last year's bipartisan state budget, is co-chaired by former Women's Health USA CEO Robert Patricelli and former Webster Bank CEO James Smith, who flirted with a run for governor this spring. State lawmakers did not act on the recommendations the commission made in March, but certain items were referred for further study. Progressive Democrats in the General Assembly shot down many proposals in the first report, arguing it lacked support for poor cities and education, among other problems. Patricelli and Smith detailed the new recommendations, billed as "Report 2.0," Nov. 28 at the state Capitol building. The commission developed the report despite it no longer operating under the auspices of the state. The CEO-led commission laid out six priority items for the General Assembly to consider in the upcoming legislative session. They include: • Reducing Connecticut's deficit by at least $1 billion through spending cuts and creating new revenues, without increasing taxes. • Pushing off wage and benefit hikes for state workers over the next two years, and increasing employee pension-plan contributions. • Re-aligning Connecticut's tax sys- tem on a revenue neutral basis to boost economic growth. This would be done by lowering taxes on busi- nesses and individuals and expand- ing the sales tax base rather than by increasing rates. • Prioritizing transportation im- provements to stimulate economic growth and reduce congestion. This includes implementing an electronic tolling system on state interstate highways. • Funding a new program that pro- vides 4,000 STEM scholarships each year through public and private four-year colleges and universities. • Prioritizing state municipal fund- ing on cities and towns that need it most. www.business.uconn.edu RESEARCH CENTERS Center for the Advancement of Business Analytics Center for Real Estate and Urban Economic Studies Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation ACADEMIC PROGRAMS Bachelor's Programs MBA & EMBA Programs Specialized MS Programs: Accounting, Business Analytics & Project Management, Financial Risk Management, and Human Resources Management Ph.D. Program Executive Education Professional Development ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES Connecticut Information Technology Institute Connecticut Small Business Development Center Experiential Learning Collaborative Family Business Program Sustainable Community Outreach & Public Engagement RESEARCH. EDUCATION. OUTREACH. All that you expect from a flagship university — and more. Senior Actuarial Associate w/ Voya Services Co in Windsor, CT. Coordinate, prepare, & perform actu analysis to assist in the dev of rates, pricing strats & fin forecasts using actu recs & reporting. Develop, calc, & check policy values, net premiums, reserves & non-forf values. Rqmt's: Masters deg in Act Sci, Math or Stats. Min 2 yrs of actu exp as ass't or analyst working w/ annuity products. Prior exp must have included developing actu assumps & perf exp studies for annuity product; accomplish profitability & risk analysis using lrg datasets, which must incl working w/ actu or fin metrics such as internal rate of return & return on statutory capital; prog using VBA; bldg & maintaining actu models for inforce mgmt. or pricing; & exp w/ MS Office incl adv Excel. Must have passed at least 3 actu exams governed by Soc of Actus. Apply online www.voya.com Req JR0020056. Former CEOs Jim Smith and Bob Patricelli co-chair the Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth. PHOTO | HBJ FILE

• Cover