Hartford Business Journal

20 Hartford Business Journal • August 15, 2016 www.HartfordBusiness.com OPINION & COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Despite circus, economy, budget top CT voters' minds D onald Trump's presidential candidacy has diverted much of the attention away from real policy issues this election year, but make no mistake about it: The economy and Connecticut's fiscal standing will be the top issues on Nutmeg State voters' minds when they head to the ballot box this November. That's why the state's current ruling class — Democrats currently own the House and Senate as well as the governor's mansion — likely trembled last week at the series of bad economic news that hit the news wires: • Rogers Corp., which has been based in Connecticut for 184 years, announced it was moving its corporate headquarters to Arizona, relocating at least 70 jobs. • Cablevision's new parent company — Altice USA — said it was laying off 600 of its Connecticut employees, including workers at a call center in Shelton and back- office facility in Stratford. • Standard & Poor's released a report that said the state's low budget reserves, high fixed costs and overreliance on income taxes from the wealthy make Connecticut one of the most vulnerable states to significant fiscal stress should even a moder- ate recession hit the United States. That's not to say Democrats and their policies are fully, or even partly, to blame for the latest job cutbacks or headquarters relocation — Altice, for example, cited advances in technology for its layoffs, while Rogers Corp. said it wanted to be closer to the "growing business and technology centers on the West Coast" — but they certainly play into the narrative that Connecticut's poor business climate is dampening economic growth and causing businesses to rethink or retract their presence in the state. When you are the majority party at a time of so much fiscal and economic tumult, voters tend to cast ballots for change. A June Quinnipiac poll that found 79 percent of Connecticut voters were somewhat or very dissatisfied with the direction of the state, only confirms that sentiment. That's where Trump may actually be an asset for Connecticut Democrats. Some moderate Republicans' aversion to Trump's brash personality and oftentimes unin- telligible platform, could cause some Connecticut GOP voters to sit this election out. That, however, would be a mistake by voters, because with all 187 General Assembly seats up for grabs this November, control of the state House and Senate hangs in the balance. With a slight 21-15 majority, Democrats' stranglehold on the Senate is in jeopardy. Even their larger 87-64 House advantage isn't totally safe. And it appears the business community is stepping up its efforts to influence the election. As the CT Mirror recently reported, the Connecticut Business & Industry Associa- tion "is making its first major foray into the world of independent expenditures," invest- ing $400,000 in a political media blitz aimed at helping four Republicans win seats in swing districts to tilt the Senate in favor of the GOP. Although CBIA's fiscally conservative ways have never been a secret to lawmakers or politi- cos, the group — at least publicly — has tried to remain party agnostic, supporting candidates from either side of the aisle who back a pro-business agenda. The group is still supporting some moderate House Democrats in the upcoming elections, the Mirror reported, but its more out- ward attempt to steer the Senate into the hands of the GOP is likely part of the group's recent strategy shift to take a more aggressive stance with their lobbying efforts. The business community's heightened efforts to elect pro-commerce state legisla- tors are a good thing, particularly at a time when budget deficits raise the prospects of further tax increases. It will put pressure on candidates to support policies that encourage businesses to invest and grow jobs in Connecticut, which is the only way the state's economic malaise will be reversed. Just as voters will have the economy top of mind this election season, so too should our elected leaders. n OTHER VOICES Employers key to Youth Service Corps' mission By Luke Bronin O ver the past few years, I've had hun- dreds of conversations with young peo- ple who fit President Obama's descrip- tion of "opportunity youth." They are men and women between the ages of 16 and 24 who are disengaged from school and disconnected from the workforce. I've also had count- less conversations with the teachers, coaches, social- service providers, organizers and law enforcement officers who — for better or worse — engage with these young people every day. In each of these conversations, I've asked what would help keep a young person engaged in school and away from the kind of activities that could get them entangled in the criminal justice system. Nearly without excep- tion, the answer is the same: a job. That's why, dur- ing my campaign for mayor, I outlined plans to establish a Youth Service Corps that would give young peo- ple a chance to earn a paycheck and build work experience while feeling that sense of pride that comes with contributing to their community. There's plenty of anecdotal evidence of the importance of youth employment. Academic studies confirm the anec - dotes. According to a recent study from Stamford University, gaining exposure to job opportunities at a young age improves educational outcomes and decreas- es the chances that a young adult will end up incarcerated. After making the Youth Service Corps a priority during my first few months in office, we officially launched it last week. With $2.2 million in private funding from generous supporters, we've kicked off the first phase of the Youth Service Corps, creating 200 year-round, part-time jobs for young men and women in Hartford. We aim to expand the Youth Service Corps to 500 members. I'm particularly grateful to our partners who stepped up and donated the overwhelm- ing share of funding to the program: The Hart- ford, Aetna Foundation, Travelers Foundation, Barbara Dalio and the Dalio Foundation, and the Newman's Own Foundation. These part- ners quickly grasped the power of a job to help get young people re-engaged and make our community stronger and safer. The Youth Service Corps isn't just a typi- cal summer job program. It's a year-round, part-time commitment, with members work- ing consistently under the supervision of a "coach." Members aren't selected by lottery or first-come, first-served. The members of the Youth Service Corps are referred by com- munity partners who are helping us to iden- tify those young people who are at high risk of heading down the wrong path. The Youth Service Corps is just one part of a broader effort to expand youth employment. For the Promise Zone Youth Employment for Success (Promise Zone YES!) program, the city recently secured a $2 million federal grant, which will help 200 additional high school seniors find long-term employment and put 75 out-of-school young people to work. Combining the $2.2 million for Youth Service Corps and the $2 million for the Promise Zone YES! Program with $1 million from the Department of Hous - ing, we've already put together more than $5 million to support new job opportunities for nearly 500 young men and women in Hartford — on top of Hartford's exist- ing summer youth employment program. There are thou- sands of young men and women eager for work experience here in Hartford, so we have a lot more work to do. But we've taken the first step. And if we stay focused on continu- ing to expand employment opportunities for Hartford's young people, the result will be safer streets, stronger neighborhoods and thousands of lives changed for the better. If your company is interested in helping to make Hartford both safer and stronger, please contact Diana Tomezsko, director of strategic partnerships for the city of Hart- ford, at diana.tomezsko@hartford.gov. n Luke Bronin is the mayor of the city of Hartford. HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM POLL Who would you prefer to be president of the United States? ● Hillary Clinton ● Donald Trump To vote, go online to HartfordBusiness.com. Last week's poll results: Should hospitals/colleges make payments in lieu taxes to the city of Hartford? 72.1% Yes 27.9% No Luke Bronin ▶ ▶ … I've asked what would help keep a young person engaged in school and away from the kind of activities that could get them entangled in the criminal justice system. Nearly without exception, the answer is the same: a job. Send Us Your Letters The Hartford Business Journal welcomes letters to the editor and guest commentaries for our opinion pages. Electronic submissions are preferred and welcome at: editor@HartfordBusiness.com.

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