Foley Would “Do More Than the Current Governor” on Economic Development

by Jeff Cohen and John Dankosky - Republican candidate for governor Tom Foley was on WNPR’s Where We Live Friday and said that the state isn’t doing enough to stimulate economic development.

Tom Foley - photo by Libby Conn

“I would certainly do more than the current governor’s doing on that front.  We kind of lack a long-term policy for economic development in the state. There’s a lot there I just don’t think that Hartford is pulling that together and pitching it and trying to give employers a good experience here.”

Foley, a former U S ambassador to Ireland, is a businessman who specialized in buying failing businesses and turning them around.  Ask what he would do to turn around the state’s budget, Foley took education dollars off of the table.

“We need more funds in education, not less.  So, to the extent that we need to reduce the size and cost of our state government, I don’t think it should come in the area of education.”

And while Foley said he isn’t convinced that consolidating state agencies is a money saver, he did say that he would take a closer look at how the state pays for its social services.

Foley is the leading Republican in the race, according to a recent poll. During the hour-long conversation, Foley also took questions from listeners about his time in Iraq, his jobs plan, transportation, and regionalization.

Friday’s Where We Vote: Tom Foley

Tom Foley - courtesy Foley campaign

by John Dankosky - Fresh off a new Rasmussen Poll that has him leading the pack in the race for governor, former Ambassador Tom Foley joins us on Where We Live. Join us with your questions 860-275-7266 from 9-10am Friday, email wherewelive@wnpr.org, or leave a comment here.

Frank Talk from Shays, Foley

Chris Shays uses a bad word to describe state mess

by John Dankosky – Former Congressman (and now, NOT gubernatorial candidate) Chris Shays told Tom Dudchik’s Capitol Report exactly what shape he thinks Connecticut is in.

Meanwhile, Republican candidate Tom Foley tells CTNewsJunkie.com what he’d do to handle the state’s budget crisis. He says he would have vetoed the two-year budget that Governor Rell allowed to become law.

Oh, and it was nice of him to have an actual press conference.

Dan Malloy, “Explorer”

Update: Here is a link to audio from today’s conversation with Dan Malloy.  More coming soon.

Dan Malloy is back on Where We Live today, answering listener questions about his run for governor.  Or, maybe it’s not a run yet.  As the Connecticut Post’s Ken Dixon says it’s still an “exploration.” We’ll find out.

It’s not the first time Malloy has been on the show – he was part of our “State of the Cities” series when he was still running the city of Stamford.  His decision to leave that post and start a statewide campaign backfired for Democrats there, who lost the subsequent mayoral race to Republican Michael Pavia.

Given that gamble, this seems to be a time of big decisions for Malloy.  With Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz leaving the governor’s race to run for attorney general, he could benefit.    But the numbers aren’t looking real good for Malloy in the latest Quinnipiac University poll.  From the Courant’s Capitol Watch:

Bysiewicz had 26 percent, while Greenwich entrepreneur Ned Lamont had 23 percent. Former Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy had 9 percent, while former House Speaker James Amann trailed in fourth place with less than 5 percent.

So, will Malloy be able to capture some of those Bysiewicz supporters by making a push now?

Malloy was one of our first ever guests back in 2006, when he was running for the gubernatorial nomination – which he lost to New Haven Mayor John DeStefano.

Now, he faces a Democratic field that’s mostly got only one toe in the race:  Businessman and former senate candidate Ned Lamont;  Mary Glassman, the Simsbury First Selectman who ran with Malloy briefly in 2006, then jumped onto the ticket with DeStefano as a candidate for Lt. Governor;  Former House Speaker Jim Amann is the only “announced” candidate – but so far he’s raised about $35,000 toward his campaign.  That’s not likely to get him very far.

On the Republican side, current Lt. Governor Mike Fedele is in, despite lukewarm support from his boss, Governor Rell.  Former Ambassador Tom Foley is also in, as a front-runner on the Republican side, and in the fundraising sweepstakes.  Sorry, not really “fundraising” per se, but check-writing.  He’s already put $2-million of his own money in. Now, we’re just waiting for his “plan forward for Connecticut.”

And, I can’t forget Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi, who – if there’s nothing else going for him – seems to have Colin McEnroe’s support.

As for Malloy, he’s raised more than $440,000 toward his bid, qualifying him for state money – and he’s expected to press Lamont to accept a pledge to use public financing.

Today, I’ll be asking about that, about this little item dug up by Rick Green, which shows a letter by Malloy touting Republican senate candidate Linda McMahon’s “keen insights” into public policy, and about how, specifically, he’ll deal with the looming state budget disaster, and miserable jobs climate that’s being left for the next governor.

Listen today 9-10 a.m. – call-in 860-275-7266.