2014 Connecticut Governor's race: on Corporations


Dan Malloy: Invest state funds in businesses that preserve in-state jobs

[In a debate] at the Garde Arts Center in New London, chiding Gov. Malloy for Connecticut's sluggish economic growth, Foley said: "You did run this state into a ditch. You've broken this economy." He added, "You simply don't have solutions."

Complaining about what he called overly generous state investments in corporations during Malloy's tenure, Foley said, "The idea of the governor and his staff negotiating with a very sophisticated group of businesspeople--I'm a little worried for Connecticut taxpayers."

Foley listed corporations he said had eliminated jobs in Connecticut over the last three and a half years. Malloy countered that the decision to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in businesses had preserved jobs in the state. Somewhat awkwardly, he specifically defended his dealings with Pfizer by noting that the daughter of the company's president "was an intern on one of my campaigns."

Source: N. Y. Times on 2014 Connecticut Gubernatorial debate Oct 17, 2014

Tom Foley: We pay huge sums in corporate welfare to keep jobs in CT

Tom Foley has spoken up again about Connecticut's business climate. The layoff of 600 employees at Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. in Stratford is "another example of Connecticut's anti-business policy agenda driving good manufacturing jobs out of state," candidate Foley said. Foley goes on to accuse Gov. Dannel Malloy of "paying huge sums in corporate welfare" to keep jobs in Connecticut.

Is Foley opposed to the recent agreement between Connecticut and United Technologies Corp. to keep the corporation's headquarters and engineering forces in Connecticut and expanding them? Is that the type of "corporate welfare" he opposes? Foley knows that competition for new industry may be "corporate welfare," but when you are in competition with other states you must play the game to attract industry.

Source: Journal Inquirer OpEd on 2014 Connecticut gubernatorial race Mar 5, 2014

Tom Foley: Investigate Economic and Community Development loan fraud

Tom Foley called for a legislative investigation into a state Department of Economic and Community Development loan program--citing the case of Earl O'Garro Jr., an insurance businessman who received two DECD loans totaling more than $350,000, and now is under federal investigation. The DECD's loans to O'Garro, on which he has defaulted, "raise serious questions about the administration and oversight of the DECD Small Business Express program," Foley said.

Foley called O'Garro "the central figure in a federal corruption investigation involving the Treasurer of the City of Hartford"--Adam Cloud--"and members of his family who are closely connected to Gov. Malloy." Cloud's father, businessman Sanford Cloud, served on Gov. Dannel Malloy's transition team after Malloy's 2010 election victory over Foley.

Foley also questioned other Small Business Express program loans or grants--including $5 million in economic aid to Back9Network, a Hartford-based cable golf network with ties to Malloy.

Source: Hartford Courant on 2014 Connecticut gubernatorial race Jan 2, 2014

Dan Malloy: Businesses should suggest which state regulations to abandon

One of the contrasts Malloy makes with his Republican predecessors Rell and Rowland is the pace and level of investments made by the Department of Economic and Community Development. He soft-pedals the big investments his administration has made in major corporations, such as the $71 million package of grants and loans that enticed Cigna to expand here and declare its Bloomfield campus as its national headquarters. Republicans have indicated they intended to make "corporate welfare" an issue next year.

Source: The Connecticut Mirror on 2014 Connecticut Governor race Dec 18, 2013

Dan Malloy: Small Business Express Program: grants for 944 companies

It's not every day that a governor promotes a startup company's line of nutrition supplements. Then again, it's not every day that a nutrition-supplement company promotes a first-term governor's re-election. Both happened as Gov. Malloy toured ThinkitDrinkit, a Hartford startup that's received more than $430,000 in economic assistance and job-training funds as it has hired 26 workers at hourly rates ranging from $15 to $20.

"This is how you build the economy in the long run," Malloy said, pointing to ThinkitDrinkit as one of 944 small companies that have received grants and cheap loans from the Small Business Express Program.

Malloy accepted a sample drink from a young woman who wore a white lab coat with a large button featuring the company logo and "Malloy 2014!" The same message was written on a whiteboard in the company's test kitchen.

Source: The Connecticut Mirror on 2014 Connecticut Governor race Dec 16, 2013

Tom Foley: Small Business Express Program is too generous with aid

Gov. Malloy's economic-development programs already are fodder for and against him. Republican Tom Foley, a gubernatorial contender, says Malloy has been too generous with aid. Malloy leaves little doubt that economic development will be a cornerstone in his case for re-election, though he used humor to deflect a question about how a big a role he hopes the issue will play when his first term is judged. 944 small companies have received grants and cheap loans from the Small Business Express Program.
Source: The Connecticut Mirror on 2014 Connecticut Governor race Dec 16, 2013

Tom Foley: Criticized for bankruptcy of a Georgia textile mill

During the 2010 primary campaign, Foley was criticized over his management of a Georgia textile mill, Bibb Co. His company owned the mill from 1985-1996 before it went bankrupt and was reorganized, putting area residents out of work. Questions were raised over how much Foley benefited financially as the mill was sold.
Source: Connecticut Mirror on 2014 Connecticut Governor race Dec 31, 2010

  • The above quotations are from 2014 Connecticut Gubernatorial debates and race coverage.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Corporations.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Dan Malloy on Corporations.
  • Click here for more quotes by Tom Foley on Corporations.
Candidates and political leaders on Corporations:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Dec 06, 2018