With just a few days left in this year’s legislative session, residents are waiting with bated breath to see whether the Connecticut legislature steps up and delivers a bold budget that invests in core programs, protects workers, tenants,  and immigrants, and meets the needs of our communities – or falls back on tired excuses and political theater.

Let’s be clear: Connecticut has the money.

It’s not because Governor Lamont can’t; it’s because he won’t.

We’ve heard it before: that supporting one group of workers must come at the expense of another; that if we fund fair contracts, we can’t fund public education; that if we invest in healthcare, we have to cut services somewhere else. But this is a false and dangerous narrative, and we will not allow it to divide us.

Nursing home and group home workers with SEIU 1199NE have exhibited bravery and determination in their contract fight and as a result have won state funding to support raises. But those purple shirts are still showing up at the State Capitol because this represents just one chapter of their fight.

People are multidimensional: they are workers, immigrants, parents, students, taxpayers, and more. We cannot silo issues just like we cannot silo people. Efforts to divide us only distract from the real issue: the Gov. Ned Lamont’s refusal to tax the wealthiest Connecticut residents or modify fiscal policies to reflect current realities.

We reject the idea that there’s only so much to go around—especially when the numbers show otherwise.

The state is sitting on a projected $2.3 billion surplus—the second largest in state history— and our Rainy Day Fund remains full. Meanwhile, our wealthiest residents and corporations continue to reap the economic benefits of our upside-down tax structure.