Jen Tooker, a Republican candidate for comptroller in Connecticut, is traveling the state to discuss her vision for the office. Tooker, who has a background in the reinsurance industry and has served in elected office in Westport, argues that she has the skills to analyze the state’s finances and make smart decisions to reduce debt and attract new businesses.

Tooker’s Platform

Tooker’s campaign is focused on reducing Connecticut’s long-term liabilities, which total over $80 billion. She notes that around three-quarters of this debt comes from state employee pension debt and shortfalls in the retiree health trust fund. Tooker argues that her experience in the private sector and in elected office has prepared her to tackle these challenges.

As comptroller, Tooker says she would deliver a message that the state still has a long way to go in addressing its pension and retiree health liabilities. She credits the state’s progress in recent years in paying down the pension fund debt, but argues that a separate labor contract has increased wages enough to offset those gains. Tooker recommends paying down the debt more aggressively, using general operating funds, which would require cutting other parts of government.

Distinguishing Herself from Incumbent

Tooker seeks to distinguish herself from the incumbent Democrat, Sean Scanlon, by emphasizing her commitment to fiscal conservatism. She argues that Scanlon has taken a more moderate approach, and that her own approach would produce better results. Tooker also notes that the comptroller-run partnership plan, which allows municipalities to buy into group health insurance, has run a deficit four of the past nine years, and that she could do better based on her background.

Scanlon responded to Tooker’s comments by noting that he has urged using some of the guardrail-related savings to add to the retiree health trust fund. He also attributed the partnership plan’s fiscal challenges to national price surges in hospitalization and drug costs.

Original reporting: New Haven Independent — read the source article.