In anticipation of Gov. Ned Lamont’s first two-year budget to be released in February, University of Connecticut students weighed in with mixed reactions on Lamont’s administration and his proposed legislation. (Eric Wang/The Daily Campus)
In anticipation of Gov. Ned Lamont’s first two-year budget to be released in February, University of Connecticut students weighed in with mixed reactions on Lamont’s administration and his proposed legislation.
According to the Hartford Courant and Fox 61, Lamont’s administration is considering expanding taxes, specifically a two percent tax to groceries, currently a tax-free entity.
Eighth-semester political science major, Anthony Guardi, said he is against taxing groceries, but understands that Lamont wants to balance the budget.
“Adding a tax on groceries would really have a detrimental effect on the middle and lower class,” Guardi said. “I think the best way to go about balancing the budget is not to increase taxes or add new ones, but to reduce government spending.”
The average American currently spends six percent of their monthly income on groceries without taxes, according to USA Today.
“College students already have to stretch a dollar as much as they can, as college costs have risen,” Guardi said. “So an additional tax on the groceries they buy would just put further stress on UConn students.”
Second-semester finance major, Justin Searls, said constituents are too critical of Lamont’s proposals to raise money for the state, saying people dismiss him as “another four years of Dannel Malloy.”
“I honestly don’t know if he’s more liberal than Malloy,” Searls said. “A lot of people discredit him as another four years of increasing debt for Connecticut as we saw under the previous governor…I don’t understand that.”
Outside of fiscal policy, students commended Lamont for his close involvement in the selection of UConn’s next president, speculated to be Thomas C. Katsouleas, the provost at the University of Virginia, according to the Hartford Courant.
Second-semester actuarial science major, Sage Shapiro, said that Lamont has made it clear from the beginning of his campaign that he valued public education.
“It’s awesome…he was even helping in the candidate selection process,” Shapiro said, “I hope that he would (choose a candidate able to) secure more funding for the school.”
Grace Burns is campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at grace.burns@uconn.edu.
