2018 Candidate Questionnaire
Michelle McCabe
Democrat – 28th Senate District (Easton, Fairfield, Newtown, Weston)
BACKGROUND: The Alliance represents community nonprofits across Connecticut that serve over 500,000 people, employ 198,000 and spend $29 billion annually in Connecticut’s economy. Nonprofits contribute to our state’s communities, economy and quality of life; they support the developmentally disabled, feed the hungry, provide behavioral health and substance abuse treatment, and help prisoners re-enter their communities. Nonprofits also enrich the state through art and culture — providing visual arts and performances and preserving our state’s historical landmarks.
QUESTION: What has been your experience with nonprofits in your community?
ANSWER:
I have spent most of my professional life working at nonprofits — Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Hartford Food System and, currently, the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport. I also served as a member of the Fairfield Public Library’s Board of Trustees and as a chairwoman of a Fairfield PTA Council committee. Before starting my family, I worked at both The Jewish Museum and the Stamford Museum and Nature Center.
BACKGROUND: Community services for people in need are funded by state government through contracts, grants, and the Medicaid. At least half of the state budget comprises “fixed costs” that the state must pay – for example, post-employment obligations and bonded indebtedness. The “fixed” portion of the budget increases each year. Cuts in the portion of the budget that remains have caused significant reductions in funding for nonprofits and harm to the people they serve. When faced with cuts, nonprofits cannot raise taxes or prices, forcing them to cut services, lay-off employees or close programs. This is a model that cannot sustain itself – and it puts Connecticut’s quality of life at risk. The Alliance has argued that nonprofit services should be treated as if they are “fixed costs.”
QUESTION: If elected, how will you prioritize providing services to Connecticut’s most vulnerable residents? In the face of budget constraints, what changes will you fight for to ensure adequate funding for these services?
ANSWER:
Vast inequity is an issue in Connecticut. In my work, I see people struggling against a system that is not working to support their success. We have to address the shortage of services for people suffering from addiction, for homeless single men — both populations lack beds in facilities for treatment or assistance. We need to address asset caps and benefits cliffs that inhibit people from taking a chance on a potentially more lucrative employment opportunity. We need to address the corruption in housing that results in people living in substandard conditions. We need to empower the agencies with the capacity to address these issues.
BACKGROUND: Nonprofits are exempt from paying taxes by state and federal law. Nonprofits do not pay federal and state corporate income taxes for their charitable activities, donations to nonprofits are tax deductible, and nonprofits are exempt from Connecticut’s sales tax and local property taxes. Recently, there have been efforts at all levels of government to weaken the tax-exempt status of nonprofits, most notably at the local level.
QUESTION: Do you support nonprofit tax exemptions? Why or why not? Would you support legislation to protect or clarify tax exemptions for nonprofits? Why or why not?
ANSWER:
Yes, I support nonprofit tax exemptions as nonprofits fill gaps in the delivery of services for which government is incapable of addressing.
BACKGROUND: Even though community nonprofits deliver more than 90% of residential services to people with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) and 60% of clients served by Local Mental Health Authorities in Connecticut, the State continues to operate some of these services itself, with state-operated facilities staffed by state employees. The State and nonprofits provide the same services, but nonprofits do so at half of the cost. For example, the average annual cost to serve an individual with I/DD living in a state-operated group home is $265,000. The cost for a community nonprofit to provide the same service is just $113,000. This means that government funding can serve more people if those services are provided by nonprofits.
QUESTION: If elected, would you support converting more state-operated services to the nonprofit sector? If not, how would you ensure that state funding is able to help more people?
ANSWER:
I believe that public-private partnerships work well. Nonprofits can excel at service delivery but they benefit from state oversight, evaluation and assistance. As in any field, there are good actors and bad. It is incumbent on both the nonprofit community and state agencies to ensure that the best service is being delivered and hold each other accountable in that regard.
BACKGROUND: The nonprofit arts and culture community enhances Connecticut’s quality of life. The arts make our communities better places to live and work – they create jobs, generate revenue, and are key considerations when families and businesses are thinking of locating in our state. A recent study found that Connecticut’s nonprofit arts and culture sector generates $797 million in annual economic activity for the state, supporting over 23,000 jobs and generating $72 million in local and state tax revenue.
QUESTION: How do your plans to grow Connecticut’s economy include our arts and cultural offerings?
ANSWER:
People visit and move to places that have a wide array of leisure activities. In addition, the arts allow people to open their minds to new experiences, cultural connections, and ways of thinking. I believe that a vibrant arts culture in Connecticut is essential to the economic prosperity of the state and requires investment and support.
The Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance (The Alliance) is Connecticut’s statewide association of community nonprofits. Our members deliver essential services to more than half a million people each year and employ almost 14% of Connecticut’s workforce. To inform nonprofit professionals, staff, clients and volunteers, The Alliance is asking candidates to complete this short five-question document. Completed will be published on our website, sent to our network of thousands of CT voters, and included at our Annual Conference.