Governor Lamont is reaching out to businesses in a variety of ways. To begin with, he's a businessperson himself, and therefore presumably is sympathetic to the costs and travails of doing business here. In addition, he has a highly visible team of economic experts, including ex-CEO Indira Nooyi of Pepsi, and Jim Smith, ex-CEO of Webster Bank. He has recruited entrepeneur Josh Geballe as CAO, who in turn has brought in developer Noel Petra to manage the State's real estate holdings. Manufacturer Colin Cooper is putting a spotlight on CT manufacturing.
All of this goes a long way toward making the business community feel welcome. In addition, he's talking up our assets and promoting optimism. He's also loosened up on the State's "debt diet", although it remains to be seen which way that cuts; it could promote growth, or just increase State spending. He seems serious about infrastructure and transportation. What more is a Governor to do?
He needs help from the Legislature, however. They don't always seem to share his priorities. He can't un-elect them, so he has to work with them. Right now, his agenda seems bogged down over tolls. Let's hope that his broader vision prevails, and that our representatives do what they should--make Connecticut competitive.
No comments:
Post a Comment