By Tim Brooks
At the June 28 meeting of the Greenwich Retired Men’s Association, Tad Larrabee introduced the speaker, Steve Meskers, Connecticut State Representative, speaking on “Economic Growth and the Structure of the Connecticut Economy.” A Democrat, Steve represents the 150th District, which covers communities along the coastline from Byram to Old Greenwich. He serves on four committees, Commerce Committee (chair), Energy and Technology Committee, Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, and Insurance and Real Estate Committee, which makes him well positioned to address issues regarding the state’s economy. He has served in the legislature since 2019 and is an RMA member.
Rep. Meskers, who described himself as a moderate Democrat, began by listing some of the economic accomplishments of the current administration. These include closing fiscal year 2022 with a budget surplus for the fourth consecutive year, amounting to $1.3 billion; enacting the largest tax cut in state history; a “Rainy Day Fund” of $3.3 billion, the maximum permitted by law; using an additional $5.8 billion to pay down unfunded pension liabilities, saving taxpayers $500 million per year; and seeing all four major credit agencies upgrade Connecticut’s ratings. The tax bill includes a continued suspension of the gas tax (to December 31), increased child tax rebate for lower- and middle-income homes, lowering car taxes in many cities; an increase in the property tax credit, an increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit, and elimination of income taxes on pensions and annuities up to $75,000 for a single filer and $100,000 for a married couple, as well as removing the “fiscal cliff” which taxed a person’s entire income if they exceeded those amounts.
In terms of personal accomplishments, he said the single bill he was most proud of was one that provided an additional $20 million for brownfield soil remediation, which he spearheaded.
Other topics covered included strategic investments in workforce development, technology and childcare; the decline in Connecticut’s unemployment rate, which is now on par with the region at about 4%; the state’s high labor force participation rate; the surge in job openings; the sharp upswing in business formation (highest since before 2008); and Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) priorities going forward. These include promoting tourism ($15.4 billion economic impact per year) and returning land across the state to productive residential and commercial re-use through brownfield remediation.
Rep. Meskers then responded to a wide range of questions from the audience. Among them were his views on affordable housing (he believes in local solutions rather than state mandates); on the state’s long-term and historically high pension liabilities (manageable, although previous administrations were sometimes not prudent); whether the state has an equivalent of the Congressional Budget Office, a non-partisan office that costs out initiatives (no, and Connecticut should have a Ways and Means Committee to address this); traffic issues, especially along I-95; and the importance of school lunch programs and other social safety net protections.
Rep. Meskers has a BA from Fordham University in economics and Spanish, and an MBA in finance from the Lubin School at Pace University. Prior to his election he had a 35-year career in emerging markets at Irving Trust, Chemical Bank, and Banco Santander.
To see the full presentation, go to https://greenwichrma.org, cursor to “Speakers” and click on “Speaker Videos.”
The RMA will present Broadway World Award-winner Celeste Mancinelli performing “Crying on the Camino” at the special time of 10:45 AM on Wednesday, July 12th.
Celeste tells a heartfelt story of walking 200 miles on Spain’s El Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrim path leading to Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. Each year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the world walk or bike various routes to reach the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. This solo show is a true account of Celeste’s 2018 adventures with her two walking companions. An unlikely pilgrim, she combines humor and poignancy to describe the high and lows, everyday horrors and, ultimately, the spiritual reward of arriving in Santiago.
Celeste applies her singular brand of humor to her journey resulting in what has been called a story of “hilarity, hardship, and healing.” “Crying on the Camino” has received the 2022 Broadway World Award for Best New Play and Best Performer. Her show has received standing ovations from audiences across the United States. “Crying on the Camino” premiered in Madrid and Santiago, Spain, in May, 2023.
Mancinelli has been performing professionally since the early 80’s. Her NYC credits include the hit show “Nunsense” at the Douglas Fairbanks Theater, Cynthia Heimel’s long-running play “A Girl’s Guide to Chaos” at the American Place Theater and Larry Gelbart‘s “1-2-3-4-5” at the Manhattan Theater Club. She has appeared as Mama in “My Big Fat Gay Italian Wedding” and its sequel (Funeral) at the St Luke’s Theatre. Mancinelli has worked in numerous off-Broadway, cabaret, stock, regional, and national touring productions throughout the United States. For more information about Mancinelli and her original one-woman show, visit crycamino.com.
This program will not be streamed or telecast.
Note: The views expressed in these presentations are those of the speakers. They are not intended to represent the views of the RMA or its members.
RMA speaker presentations are presented as a community service at no cost to attendees, regardless of gender. The RMA urges all eligible individuals to consider becoming a member of our great organization, and thereby enjoy all the available fellowship, volunteer, and community service opportunities which the RMA offers to its members. For further information, go to https://greenwichrma.org/, or contact our membership chairman (mailto:members@greenwichrma.org).
