In their final debate before next week’s election, the three major candidates for governor squared off Tuesday night on taxes, spending and how they have helped those less fortunate than themselves.
While they answered a variety of questions, the candidates often came back to the state budget and the projected deficit of $4.6 billion over two years.
Democrat Ned Lamont, Republican Bob Stefanowski and independent Oz Griebel did not land any knockout blows or make any major gaffes, but solidified their positions on core issues.
“I’m not going to raise the income tax,’’ Lamont told a live audience in a debate that was televised on WTNH, Channel 8. “I will reduce the property tax. … We’re going to have an honestly balanced budget for the first time in a generation.’’
Stefanowski reiterated his constant theme of cutting taxes and also called for reducing spending that would include the privatization of the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
“Let’s run it like a business — for a profit,’’ Stefanowski said. “Let’s look at the busway from New Britain to Hartford … $1,000 per inch.’’
Stefanowski circled back to Lamont’s taped statements that he would raise taxes, which have been repeated constantly in television ads across the state. He repeated his televised themes, which prompted an incensed Lamont to answer a question out of order at the end of the debate.
“That nonsense about the statewide property tax is not true,’’ Lamont said.
For months, Stefanowski has been running commercials that say Lamont would impose a statewide property tax. But Lamont told reporters last week that the plan would actually benefit 75 percent to 80 percent of motorists by lowering the mill rates in their towns to a statewide average. He said that only drivers in the wealthiest communities, such as Greenwich and New Canaan, would see their property taxes on cars increase — because those towns currently have low mill rates.
The debate was held as Lamont and Stefanowski are locked in a dead heat, based on polls by Quinnipiac University and Sacred Heart University. Lamont is ahead in both polls, but his lead in both are within the margin of error. Internal polls by both the Lamont and Stefanowski campaigns also show a tight, single-digit lead for Lamont that is within the margin of error, officials said.
Griebel, who has consistently placed third in the polls, strongly rejected the moniker of “spoiler’’ that some have placed on him.
“The spoilers in this race are the two major-party candidates,’’ Griebel said.
After the debate, Griebel reacted strongly when asked what he would say to voters who believe that he should drop out of the race.
“I’d tell them to drop dead — for starters,’’ the normally mild-mannered Griebel said.
Earlier, Griebel said he would use the state’s rainy day fund, which has reached $2 billion in recent years, for fiscal emergencies.
“If this isn’t raining now, I don’t know what rain looks like,’’ Griebel said.
Lamont said that using the rainy day fund so soon is “just kicking the can down the road like John Rowland and Jodi Rell.’’
Despite huge differences that have been displayed in constant television ads, Stefanowski said the three candidates actually agree on a desire to improve health care and education, among other issues.
“The difference is in how we get there,’’ Stefanowski said. “Under Ned and Oz, it’s going to be more of the same. … The best way to fix this state is through economic growth.’’
Personal Questions
All three candidates have Ivy League degrees and have been highly successful in their business careers — leading to huge salaries listed in their income tax returns, which show they are in the top 1 percent of workers. With that as a backdrop, they were asked what they have personally done to help those less fortunate in society. Griebel said he has worked with United Way and other organizations, giving time and money.
Lamont responded that he organized 20 business leaders to help students in Bridgeport, which led him to become a volunteer teacher at a hardscrabble high school. “I loved being there in Harding High a couple of months ago’’ when he saw the accomplishments of the students, he said.
Following the debate, Lamont told reporters that the volunteerism question was his favorite question of the night because he believes the viewers got to see a different side of the candidates.
“I think they got a sense of who Ned Lamont is as a person,’’ Lamont said.
After growing up in New Haven, Stefanowski said he was on the board of directors of the Cardinal Sheehan center to help youth in Bridgeport.
While some of Connecticut’s cities have well-known problems with poverty and education, Griebel said that New Haven and Stamford are examples of smaller cities with solid employment and downtown vibrancy.
Lamont said the state must make sure that the cities have stronger public schools.
The debate was co-sponsored by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, The Hartford Courant, and WTNH-TV, Channel 8.
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