Cooperation on jobs welcomed

The bipartisan unity displayed in Hartford on Monday when the governor and lawmakers from both parties pledged to work together on job creation is a positive sign for Connecticut and in stark contrast to the continuing deadlock in Washington.

Republican lawmakers stood with Connecticut's Democratic governor, Dannel P. Malloy, and they collectively pledged to work together on a consensus jobs' package that the legislature can vote on during the special session beginning Oct. 26. While it is too soon to predict whether the bipartisan display will survive the practical details of drafting and approving legislature, this is at least a good starting point.

Republicans in the General Assembly were unhappy with the way Gov. Malloy and his fellow Democrats, who control the legislature, went about passing a $40.1-billion, two-year spending plan and erasing large projected deficits. They see the $2.6 billion in additional taxes and a mandatory paid sick days law for some service companies as inhibiting attempts to turn the economy around.

But the Republicans are taking the right approach in expressing a willingness to work with the governor from this point forward. They could have chosen the course of their counterparts in Washington - hammering away at the Democrats for the tax hikes and refusing to cooperate on any job stimulus efforts, a perpetual election approach that does not serve the cause of creating good public policy.

"We will not be rearguing the budget at this time," said House Minority Leader Lawrence

Cafero, R-Norwalk.

The governor and Republicans leaders have already held bipartisan discussions, leading Rep. Cafero to comment, "There's a lot of overlap, a lot of common ground."

Gov. Malloy, in turn, pledged to include many of the Republicans' ideas in the jobs' package he will outline before the special session. It is critically important that he do so. While the Democrats have the numbers to pass any legislation they want, a jobs' bill that contains ideas from both parties will generate more confidence in the business community.

The governor should have no problem with many of the proposals Republicans are putting forth. These include: improving the revolving loan program for small businesses; more aggressive incentives to encourage redevelopment of polluted, former industrial sites; unpaid internship programs that would allow the unemployed to keep getting an unemployment check while retraining; and targeting tax credits toward businesses hiring the unemployed.

Both sides agree on the need to streamline the permitting process and scale back excessive and often redundant regulations.

State residents should be encouraged by this display of

cooperation.