New London — Despite a sluggish economy that’s forced Connecticut to curb its spending and helped drive down his poll numbers, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy sought Wednesday to deliver an upbeat message as the keynote speaker at a breakfast meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut.

“We live in a state that doesn’t like positive news,” he quipped, addressing a packed ballroom at the Holiday Inn. “But there are some things going on.”

For example, he said, there's tourism and transportation.

His administration’s investment in tourism promotion and the forging of partnerships with tourism sites have helped that sector of the economy emerge from the recession in better shape than it was before the economic downturn, the governor said.

He said his transportation plan would be particularly beneficial to the region.

“The largest, longest bridge in the state of Connecticut is getting our attention,” he said, referring to the Gold Star Memorial Bridge that spans the Thames River. “Design work for I-95 is underway.”

He also said he expects Interstate 95 to be widened to three lanes in both directions.

On the downside, he said, the legislature’s repeated failure to pass a bill to adopt a “lockbox” amendment to preserve funding earmarked for transportation improvements was “a tremendous mistake.”

"We will continue to work to get it on the ballot," the governor vowed.

He said the state’s relationships with Pfizer and Electric Boat are strong and that successes in the aerospace industry in other parts of the state promise to help reverse the “anemic growth” in Connecticut’s gross domestic product, or GDP.

“In February, I said we have to realign our expectations,” he said. “It's going to take a long time to recover from the Great Recession.”

He noted that $820 million in general fund spending had been cut from next year’s $19.8 billion budget, prompting layoffs of state workers and other cutbacks.

Days after the spending plan was approved, a poll released by Quinnipiac University showed that only 24 percent of Connecticut voters approve of the job Malloy is doing, a record low approval rating.

After his brief speech, the governor took questions from the audience that touched on a variety of subjects, including the Department of Motor Vehicles woes and the state’s commitment to the U.S. Coast Guard Museum project.

Holly Cheeseman, the East Lyme selectwoman running for state representative in the 37th House District, called the governor’s attention to a DMV bill she received that indicated she owed a “Clean Air Act Fee” of $10 and a “Registration Fee” of zero, which was a mistake.

She said she was aware of others who also have received bills containing blatant errors.

"It gives the perception that government doesn’t work,” Cheeseman said.

Malloy acknowledged ongoing problems with the DMV’s computer system, blaming them on a vendor he said was chosen before he took office.

The governor said he favors shifting many of the department’s administrative functions to “places of sale” and insurance companies.

“If I can do my banking at a grocery store, I should be able to register my car with an insurance agent,” he said.

Regarding the Coast Guard museum, proposed for a downtown New London site where there are environmental concerns, Malloy said the state is prepared to invest $20 million in the project “but it’s got to be ready to go.”

Tony Sheridan, the commerce chamber’s president and chief executive officer, dismissed the site concerns.

“The Coast Guard location is resolved,” he said. “Raising questions at this late date risks losing it.”

b.hallenbeck@theday.com