By Senator
Rob Kane
I am impressed – and relieved – that Governor
M. Jodi Rell is proposing a two-year $38.4 billion state
budget that neither cuts education funding for municipalities
nor raises taxes on Connecticut’s already struggling
families.
As a member of the General Assembly’s Appropriations
Committee, I am looking forward to working with my legislative
colleagues in a bipartisan manner to ensure that the
budget we ultimately pass responsibly addresses our
fiscal problems, preserves necessary government services,
and paves the way to revitalize our state economy when
these difficult times end. Governor Rell’s proposal
is an excellent beginning to that process.
Of course, it is not possible to resolve the state’s
grim fiscal problems and keep the government running
without shared sacrifice. The reality is that state
government is facing a budget deficit that could grow
beyond the currently projected $8.7 billion in the next
two years. Meanwhile, unemployment is at 7.1 percent
and businesses are continuing to close their doors.
People are concerned because, as bad as things are now,
they rightly fear the situation could get much worse
before it gets any better.
As Governor Rell said in her budget address, it is
time for state government to do what every family in
Connecticut is doing: cutting back and doing more with
less. Her budget acknowledges the need for fiscal restraint
by calling for no increase in spending next year, and
just a 3.5 percent increase in the second year.
However, holding the line on spending and sparing
us from tax increases while preserving state education
funding for municipalities requires making changes elsewhere.
Among other things, Governor Rell’s proposed budget
calls for: seeking concessions from state employee unions;
eliminating and consolidating state agencies
and commissions; eliminating about 400 state jobs and
not filling another 448 currently vacant positions;
increasing premiums for adults on HUSKY healthcare insurance;
making changes to ConnPACE; closing two courthouses;
consolidating the probate court system into 36 regional
districts; increasing the cost of state fees and licenses;
closing Cedarcrest Hospital in Newington and relocating
patients to Connecticut Valley Hospital; delaying and
cancelling state bond authorizations; and making necessary
changes to binding arbitration.
Furthermore, the Governor is proposing to reassign
about 70 state troopers to patrol jobs. Her budget proposal
includes incentives for municipalities to regionalize
services when feasible. She wants to create a Middle
College System by merging the state’s vocational-technical
high school and community college system, along with
the state’s Office of Workforce Competitiveness,
to bridge the gap between high school and higher education.
Also, the Governor’s proposed budget calls for
creating a state version of the Depression-era Civilian
Conservation Corps – The Connecticut Conservation
Corps – to hire unemployed people to do useful
things like clean beaches, trails and parks.
Clearly, the Governor’s proposed budget is a
valiant attempt to not only responsibly address our
current fiscal problems while continuing to provide
necessary government services, but also a plan for permanently
making state government more effective, more efficient,
and smaller. That is good news for Connecticut’s
taxpayers, and in the weeks ahead, I will work to convince
fellow legislators that we need to begin passing state
budgets – beginning with this one – that
focus on providing necessary government services at
a cost the taxpayers can afford.
For example, Governor Rell wants to repeal and modify
mandates on municipalities – and delay the implementation
of some that are pending. Specifically, she wants to
require a two-thirds vote of the legislature in order
to impose any costly new mandates and she wants to suspend
for the next two years implementation of the recently
passed law requiring in-school suspensions. I wholeheartedly
agree with her. Imposing mandates on municipalities
inevitably increases the cost of government and, thus,
property taxes. If the General Assembly cannot clearly
demonstrate that the benefit of imposing a mandate outweighs
the cost, then we should not impose that mandate.
I would like to know what you think about Governor
Rell’s proposed budget and your ideas for resolving
the state’s fiscal problems. I can be reached
at my legislative office in Hartford at 860-240-8800,
or via e-mail to
Rob.Kane@cga.ct.gov.
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