Editorial: The Courant Endorses Oz Griebel For Governor

The state of Connecticut is underwater. Years of complacent Democratic and Republican leadership have done little to right this ship. The Courant recommends a new leader, one not beholden to political parties or to the narrow partisan loyalties that control them. We endorse the independent candidate Oz Griebel for governor.

Last year, Republicans and Democrats in the state Capitol caused a financial crisis in many towns when they couldn’t agree on a budget until October. The partisanship and unwillingness to compromise were shameful. The lack of leadership was disheartening. Why, voters asked, can’t you put aside your politicking and do what’s right for the people of Connecticut? We are at a point where the only path forward lies in everyone giving a little, yet there has been little in the way of true creativity or cooperation.

When Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced that he wouldn’t run for re-election — a good move, considering how ineffective he’d become — Connecticut residents hoped the major political parties would put forward innovative, forward-thinking candidates who could unite the legislature, get state spending under control and lead Connecticut out of its financial mess.

Sadly, voters have been profoundly let down. Neither the Republicans nor Democrats came up with candidates with the tools necessary to lead the legislature out of its paralysis, bring state employee unions to the table, responsibly foster the business climate or chart a clear path for long-term growth.

In a state where unaffiliateds outnumber Republicans and Democrats, it’s time for an independent governor. It is time to break the cycle that leads to the same place year after year and try a different approach to running the state. That’s why The Courant endorses Mr. Griebel.

Why Mr. Griebel?

Connecticut is stuck. Getting any real change at the state Capitol has proved impossible.

Look at what happened when Malloy tried to rejigger school spending last year to help needier students in Hartford, Bridgeport and New Haven. He got hammered by the richer towns and ultimately relented.

Unions are another strong influence — so strong that Ned Lamont made unwise promises to them as he sought their support to win the Democratic primary for governor.

On the Republican side, Bob Stefanowski is promising the powerful business community to repeal a slew of taxes over time, including the personal income tax. It’s an appealing sound bite, but he has no coherent plan for paying the bills on so little income. Ask Kansans how such tax cuts went for them: The state never got the jobs it hoped for, schools suffered, and the legislature had to raise taxes once again.

Groups out to protect their own interests have pulled Connecticut’s state Capitol so far apart that the political parties are broken, intransigent, unable to govern. Proof is that the next governor faces a budget $2 billion in the red as soon as he steps into office, and it gets worse in later years.

Mr. Griebel — an independent beholden to fewer constituencies — is in the best position to get Connecticut unstuck.

He was the longtime leader of the Hartford-area chamber of commerce and, before that, a bank president. He’s sharp, affable, innovative and dynamic. He would represent the largest bloc of voters in Connecticut — the “unaffiliated” bloc.

This is how alienated voters have gotten from the two bickering major parties: The 862,466 unaffiliateds in Connecticut outnumber the state’s active registered Democrats (780,313) and Republicans (457,813).

Mr. Griebel’s election would signal to the parties that the electorate is done with paralysis.

A Third Way

For a quarter-century, Republican and Democratic governors have watched Connecticut struggle as they made and broke such unrealistic promises as “I have a specific, detailed plan to eliminate the income tax” (John G. Rowland) and “We’re not going to raise taxes” (Malloy).

The state is now bowing under massive debt and retiree costs. Many of Connecticut’s wealthier residents are moving out. Republican and Democratic leaders have not eased the malaise.

The state needs a third way. It needs a centrist leader whose chief allegiance is to Connecticut, not to lobbyists.

Mr. Griebel is a moderate former Republican who knows the problems the state is facing in detail. His plans are less bold than pragmatic: For example, he would move state commissioners onto 401(k)-style retirement plans, as many municipalities have done with their employees. He also understands the need to go from a state of 169 municipal fiefdoms to more regional governance. He offers reasonable solutions and is willing to discuss options.

No candidate is perfect, of course. Mr. Griebel is untested, as are his two opponents. He could lack the tools needed to juggle the complex demands of the job. We also feel he is wrong to suggest delaying payments into pension funds for state employees to help the state out of its financial crisis. He would instead fatten up those anemic funds with state lottery revenue. New Jersey tried that, and Wall Street said that wasn’t good enough.

But the state needs to reset how it governs itself. Neither Ned Lamont nor Bob Stefanowski offer that opportunity — although Mr. Lamont almost could.

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Mr. Lamont A Close Second

The Democratic nominee for governor looks good on paper and sounds good much of the time. He’s an entrepreneur who has started a successful business, helped another successful one (Infosys) come to Hartford, and knows something about state finances as former chairman of the council that oversees the multi-billion-dollar state pension fund.

To grow Connecticut’s economy, the next governor will have to reassure the business community that the state’s costs are under control. That means going back to labor for more concessions. Mr. Lamont has promised to do that.

Here’s the problem: It’s hard to know if he’s sincere, given the vows he made before the primary to “stand with labor unions” and “use my veto power if necessary to defeat any legislation that seeks to reduce the strength of collective bargaining.”

He’s changed his tune since then. He now wants to cap what employees can earn in pensions — nearly 1,400 retirees earn more than $100,000 a year — and put other controls on runaway benefits.

The state needs more than a few benefit adjustments to save it financially, however.

And it’s hard to know where Mr. Lamont’s loyalties really lie.

Why Not Mr. Stefanowski?

Mr. Stefanowski, a former business executive, didn’t come to The Courant to share his economic plan with the editorial board. We would guess that’s because he doesn’t have a real one that stands up to scrutiny.

He seems to take pride in not answering questions with anything more than sound bites and platitudes, especially concerning his plan to get rid of the income tax. He has yet to say where he’d find $10 billion a year to make up for the loss of half the state’s tax revenue. This insults voters’ intelligence.

Mr. Stefanowski’s hare-brained scheme to phase out the income tax is a cynical ploy for votes. It’s as if he’s running for class president on a platform of “more recess.”

Mr. Stefanowski, by the way, isn’t the first Republican to make that laughable income-tax-elimination claim. Former Gov. John G. Rowland pledged to gut the income tax in five years. How’d that go? Mr. Rowland ultimately raised taxes and stopped saving money for state employee retirements. Their pension funds are in scary shape today.

Mr. Griebel is running on the Griebel Frank for CT Party line. Also running for governor Nov. 6 are Rodney Hanscomb of the Libertarian Party and Mark Stewart Greenstein of the Amigo Constitution Liberty Party. The Working Families Party cross-endorsed Mr. Lamont, and the Independent Party cross-endorsed Mr. Stefanowski.