Connecticut voters are still concerned about the economy

by Christine Moyer

WASHINGTON - Connecticut may be the nation's wealthiest state, but its residents seem to share something with the rest of the country: a concern about the state of the national economy.

"Connecticut really mirrors the nation," said Ken Dautrich, a political science professor at the University of Connecticut. As for other issues, such as terrorism, the quality of education and the environment, he said, "all of this pales in comparison to the economy."

If the Nutmeg State truly mirrors the nation, then the economy is the major issue there. A recent national poll by Quinnipiac University reported that 34 percent of 1,228 registered voters considered the economy "the most important problem facing the country today." That was more than double the percentage of respondents who picked any other issue in the poll, conducted Sept. 11-15.

Not surprisingly, the issue has a political edge.

To Leslie O'Brien, the executive director of Connecticut's Democratic Party, concern about the economy transcends partisan politics. "People are generally concerned about their wallets," she said. "The average Connecticut citizen is not seeing [President] Bush's tax cuts."

Despite the wealth of Fairfield County, "a majority of Connecticut is middle class" and has been suffering from state spending cuts, the highest unemployment rate in years and inflated prices for prescription drugs, O'Brien said.

John Healey, the political director for Connecticut Republicans, disagreed. "The fact is that these [spending] cuts were across the board," he said. "The Democrats forget that the people of Fairfield County carry 90 percent of the tax burden. There's no doubt that they are the economic engine of this state."

He's also optimistic about the state of the national economy. "I think we're seeing the beginnings of a turning economy," he said. "We're feeling the impact of the [Bush] tax cuts."

UConn's Dautrich said the state's economic problems over the past two years have resulted in more jobs lost than gained, something, he added, that Connecticut shared with most other states.

Arnauld Schwartz, a longtime New Britain resident, doesn't agree with the 1992 Clinton campaign adage that "it's the economy, stupid." His most pressing concern is Connecticut's vulnerability to terrorism, noting that the state is home to three nuclear plants and a submarine base. "I put that concern over the economy," he said.

To Schwartz, local issues are the most important ones. "I'm really concerned," he said, "about what could happen here in New Britain at my house."

But Dautrich said not many Connecticut residents agree with Schwartz. Pointing to the recall this week of California Gov. Gray Davis, Dautrich suggested that Bush may be the biggest victim of a poor economy because he is the incumbent.

But Dautrich added that none of the candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination has a particular edge on handling the economy. When asked whom Connecticut voters favor on economic issues, he said, "I don't think that people know enough about the candidates."