Malloy Attempts to Generate Some Heat Among Democratic Exploring Candidates

Exploring Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Dan Malloy has called out his fellow Democratic Exploring Candidate Ned Lamont for his opposition to paid sick leave for Connecticut employees. (I hope these guys and gals stop exploring and start running soon.)

Malloy said Ned Lamont, who in an interview published online today said he is against paid sick days, “doesn’t get it.”

“There are certain basic rights that should be afforded to any working person in Connecticut, and paid sick leave is certainly among them,” said Malloy. “It’s wrong that we would penalize workers – salaried or on hourly wage – for being ill. A person should not have to worry about missing a rent check or a mortgage payment because they catch the flu.”

“Ned doesn’t get it. Ned says he thinks ‘…we deal with sick leave just fine at the small-business level where I live.’ But that’s the problem: most people don’t live in that world. Ned’s statement shows just how disconnected he is from the concerns of the average working person in Connecticut.”

In an interview with the CT Mirror that was posted today, February 8, 2010, Lamont is quoted:

"I think we deal with sick leave just fine at the small-business level where I live. I'm not sure I need the government stepping in and putting another mandate on businesses like mine," he said. "I do believe it sort of sends the wrong signal out there at a time when we have a very high unemployment rate, and I'm doing everything as a candidate for governor to recruit, to expand job creation in our state."

Malloy contends that there are better ways to improve the business climate without forcing people to go to work sick. According to Malloy “Connecticut needs to lower energy costs, provide smart tax incentives that reward businesses that create jobs, and fix our health care system to help small businesses lower their overhead. And we can do these things, and more. But we don’t have to force sick people to go to work.”

Can Malloy show policy and leadership differences with Lamont that will overcome the obvious fact that Lamont is able to fund his own campaign and match the most likely Republican challenger who is also able to fund his own campaign? Does the voting public really want their gubernatorial choice to be between two Greenwich millionaires?