Rep. Doug Dubitsky Opposes Sweetheart Deal for Sikorsky

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HARTFORD – At the Legislature’s special session on Wednesday, Representative Doug Dubitsky (R-47) opposed Governor Malloy’s deal to pay Sikorsky Aircraft $220,000,000.00 to build King Stallion helicopters in Connecticut, citing the financial burden to already beleaguered taxpayers.

In his floor speech, Rep. Dubitsky pointed out that his district does not have a single Sikorsky supplier or employee, yet his constituents will still be forced to pay their portion of the price tag without any hope of recouping the added taxes needed to pay for the deal. He explained that, rather than making deals giving taxpayer money to individual companies, the Legislature should be addressing the state’s serious economic problems; the legislature is ignoring the very reason why a deal like this is seen by some as necessary in the first place.

“I would love Sikorsky to stay in Connecticut, but Sikorsky should want to stay in Connecticut. We shouldn’t have to bribe them to stay in this state,” said Rep. Dubitsky. “I know many of my colleagues are frustrated because the legislature has created an environment in this state where the only way we can attract or retain a business in this state is by bribing them with tax money. We should be figuring out ways to make it easier to do business here.”

Rep. Dubitsky - photo: CCDL.us

In the days before the vote, Rep. Dubitsky and his colleagues met with representatives from Sikorsky who informed the legislators that it would cost Sikorsky $400 million more to manufacture the King Stallion helicopters in Connecticut than in another state. Thus, the company claimed that a special taxpayer-funded deal was needed to bring the project here.

“This is necessary because of the policies that have been put into place by this legislature over decades of one-party rule that have made it nearly impossible for a company to build a product in this state without some type of government subsidy. That’s crazy,” added Rep. Dubitsky. “We shouldn’t be in special session to give a sweetheart deal to Sikorsky; we should be in special session to eliminate that $400 million difference between building a helicopter here versus any other state in the nation.”