By Dave Matlow
In advance of Wednesday’s special legislative session, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy came to Westport today to meet with business executives on how to create more jobs in Connecticut.
Gov, Dannel P. Malloy meets today with business executives at Westport’s Terex Corporation. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
The session with about 25 guests from large and medium-sized firms took place around a conference table at the Terex Corporation at the Nyala Farms office complex off of Greens Farms Road.
The topic was what the governor is hoping to accomplish in a bipartisan manner during the special legislative session on job growth. Malloy said that the state is ready to make a $516 million investment in tax breaks on Wednesday.
According to Lisa Mercurio of the Council, Malloy has been working with business and legislative leaders in a series of 12 scheduled sessions – Westport was the 10th—to develop a bipartisan package on job growth.
His stated goal is to develop legislation that spurs innovation and entrepreneurial drive, increases support for small businesses, and cultivates a 21st century workforce, she said.
The efforts include making it easier to do business with the state, and strengthing existing economic development tools, Mercurio said.
The key issue today was on job creation and the role of the public/private partnership. Malloy said that his goal is “to make it easier to do business in Connecticut.”
“There has been much criticism about the focus on support of larger businesses,” he said. He explained he seeks “an alignment” between larger and medium to small business segments.
To accomplish this goal. Malloy said that “we need to improve communications and to do so needs a quarterback.” He said he already had an appropriate quarterback—Catherine Smith, commissioner of Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD).
Malloy said the state needs to invest in start-up companies, especially in the fields of technology and bioscience,
The business executives told Malloy the state needs to improve education of job applicants—with engineering especially cited—as well as upgrade Connecticut’s infrastructure so it is easier to get around.
