December 18, 2009

The Honorable M. Jodi Rell

Executive Chambers
State Capitol Building
210 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106

Dear Governor Rell:

Connecticut’s unemployment rate stands at a seasonally adjusted 8.2 percent, the highest level since the
1970s. This level of unemployment not only affects individual families and households but also has a
direct and negative impact on our state’s economy.

As lawmakers, we all have a responsibility to try to create and sustain jobs for the people of Connecticut.
There can be no long-term recovery for our state without the creation of permanent jobs; and without
aggressive, decisive and strategic investment on the part of state government, job creation will remain
stagnant.

Today, my colleagues and I write to ask that you join us in implementing a strategic plan over the next
twelve months. The Connecticut Jobs Now plan, as to be detailed in this letter, would direct $1 billion in
already authorized state bonding to targeted capital investments with the goal of creating jobs and
improving our state infrastructure at the same time.

The Connecticut Jobs Now plan calls for no new or additional bond authorizations and can be
implemented immediately under your own authority, without any action of the General Assembly. The
plan calls for investments in the five strategic areas of:

• Transportation infrastructure,
• Housing,
• Energy conservation,
• Clean water, and
• Higher education.

The plan relies on the selection of previously authorized projects that have been or can be bid and be
ready for construction within 90 to 120 days, with priority given to those projects that create jobs and are
free of any obvious delay, including unresolved zoning or environmental issues. We would urge that 20
percent, or $200 million, of this recovery effort be utilized for municipal projects that meet the 90-to-120-
day requirement. Several agencies have already compiled lists of projects that would meet the criteria of
this program.
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In recent weeks and months, agencies have reported a number of notable projects that have been bid at
rates significantly lower than estimated. Department of Transportation Commissioner Joseph Marie
recently testified before the Transportation Committee that horizontal construction bids are coming in, on
average, 10 to 15 percent below agency estimates coupled with historically low interest rates, this gives us
a unique opportunity to make these investments at lower costs than we would have experienced in recent
years.

Further, the Office of Fiscal Analysis recently reported that current market interest rates are at 3.9
percent, compared with the standard OFA debt service estimates of 5 percent. By taking advantage of
these low rates, we can essentially undertake more projects—and put more people back to work—within
the same level of appropriated debt service. We have the unprecedented ability to modernize state
facilities and infrastructure, create jobs, invigorate our lagging state economy, and purchase more without
increasing our indebtedness beyond anticipated levels.

Should this proposal go forward, as we hope it will, we stand ready to work with your administration and
the State Treasurer to ensure that Connecticut remains under the established bonding cap, even if this
means taking action to de-authorize other previously authorize projects.

We know that you share our concerns over the state of employment in Connecticut. Putting people back
to work in these difficult times will have a direct and real impact on our current fiscal situation—adding
more to our underperforming income tax revenues, boosting consumer power and sales tax revenues,
reducing demands on our unemployment system and enabling homeowners to meet their mortgage
obligations.

This cannot be a jobless recovery; however, jobs will not create themselves. It will take coordinated and
bold action to bring about sustained recovery.

Thank you for your consideration of this proposal, and know that we stand willing to work with you to
see this plan implemented and the citizens of Connecticut put back to work. Please feel free to contact us
if you would like to discuss this proposal in greater detail.

Sincerely,

Donald DeFronzo Jonathan Harris

State Senator—6th District State Senator—5th District
Co-chair— General Bonding Subcommittee

Gary LeBeau Andrew Maynard

State Senator—3rd District State Senator—18th District
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Edith Prague Andrea Stillman

State Senator—19th District State Senator—20th District

Cc: The Honorable Denise Nappier

The Honorable Donald E. Williams, Jr.
The Honorable Christopher G. Donovan