John DeStefano understands that our tax system needs reform to stimulate economic growth and enable investments to make Connecticut stronger.

John DeStefano, Jr. believes in a tax system that is pro-economic growth, equitable, and provides revenue adequate to fund the services and make the investments that will make Connecticut stronger.

Connecticut's current mix of taxes and exemptions fails to meet that set of criteria in far too many ways. John will focus on four specific changes:

1. Remove automatic linkage of Connecticut tax policy from the backwards policies of the Bush administration.
2. Scrutinize and reconsider the massive corporate tax breaks given out during the Rowland Administration.
3. Replace the haphazard connections between economic development and tax policy with a carefully thought-out strategy, and create linkages to policies like Smart Growth that will ensure Connecticut's long-term economic and community health.
4. Reform the property tax system to reduce the growing burden on middle-class families and businesses such as manufacturers.

Losing money by following the Bush Administration

Connecticut is losing approximately $100 million because we have followed the Bush Administration's tax changes for estates worth over $1 million. John feels that George W. Bush's tax policy has dramatically favored the very richest few people over the middle class, and Connecticut should not blindly follow his lead. Bush has lead this country into massive deficits to finance his tax cuts for the wealthy, and Connecticut cannot afford that ill-conceived luxury.

Scrutinize corporate tax break and loopholes

In recent years, Connecticut has granted hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate tax breaks - many of which have questionable economic impact - while backing away from more sensible programs like the Payment-In-Lieu-Of-Taxes for property taxes on new manufacturing equipment.

The Department of Economic and Community Development gave Diageo (the world's largest liquor company) a $40 million tax break to move 10 miles from Stamford to Norwalk. At the same time, the State reduced the most important incentive for manufacturers to continue to invest in new equipment.

The corporate income tax is supposed to tax businesses based on their profits, but exploiting loopholes and these tax breaks have resulted in two-thirds of businesses in Connecticut only pay the minimum $250 per year in corporate income tax. Meanwhile, in total, businesses pay almost four times as many dollars in property taxes as corporate income tax - but they have to pay their property taxes regardless of whether they are making huge profits or losing money.

Better thought-out connections between economic, growth, and tax policies

In too many cases, our current policies are giving tax breaks to those companies that do not need them, but crushing many manufacturers and other businesses under the weight of property taxes. We should not hand out unneeded tax breaks based on which companies have the best lobbyists - our tax dollars should be invested in ways that will yield the best returns.

Website Vooweb.com provides the biggest collection of professional Web 2.0 Templates. Web 2.0 Templates - its a website templates which made by world-class designers. Buy our Web 2.0 Templates | A family cooking recipes with hundreds of healthy, whole-food cooking recipes for the home cook. Healthy Food cooking Recipes For Your Entire Family

The current balance of different state and local taxes also creates perverse incentives for towns and businesses to put development where there is not the physical or human infrastructure to support that development without significant costs - public costs for roads, sewers and new schools, social costs from decay of existing developed areas, and intangible costs from loss of open space and community character. John will ensure that the real cost of our tax system is taken into consideration, and that it is not working at cross-purposes to other public policy goals.

Reform the property tax system

The property tax needs to be reformed not because it is inequitable (though it is, with the largest burden place on middle-income families) but because it is limiting our state's economic potential and forcing our communities - urban, suburban and rural - to make poor long-term decisions.

Over-reliance on the property tax is forcing cities and towns to put an ever-growing tax burden on middle-class homeowners and property-dependent businesses. Sooner or later, Connecticut will have to shift the tax burden away from property taxes, but we must do it in a way that does not create losers at the expense of a handful of winners. Reducing reliance on the property tax must not be an excuse for a hidden tax increase, and spending caps and financial reporting requirements should be included to ensure it is truly a tax shift and not a tax hike.

Our current tax structure is flawed and needs changing, but that can only happen after a thorough public debate. This discussion has to be based on solid information, and needs to talk about what any changes mean for individual families and for Connecticut's health and future. John believes that citizens understand that taxes are a necessary part of life, and are willing to pay them if we know why they are needed. People are right to greet proposed changes with healthy skepticism, and deserve an honest and complete explanation before they agree.

Almost everyone will agree that property taxes are a problem in Connecticut, and John DeStefano will not run away from the issue.