Stating the Obvious
The deed is done.
Two and a half months after Gov. Dannel P. Malloy unveiled his budget proposal to balance the state’s $3.2 billion budget deficit, the Democratic majorities in each body voted to copy the Governor’s homework instead of doing their own. Though most of the focus will return to the Governor today as he signs off on the legislative rubber stamp, it is the shamefully poor performance of those House and Senate Democrats who voted for the package should face the highest scrutiny.
The gross negligence of their actions was highlighted this morning by the comments of Larry Dorman, the spokesman for the State Employees Agent Bargaining Coalition (SEBAC), who noted that the $2 billion in concessions is “unrealistic”.
Remember that this is nothing new. Former Democratic State Rep. Jonathan Pelto has been making this point since at least February 15, 2011 when the $2 billion in concessions figure was announced.
There are only two possible reasons why 19 State Senators and 83 State Representatives would vote for the budget package: ignorance or incompetence. Recognizing that there is an abundance of both traits at the State Capitol, parsing the motive for each “Yes” voter may be difficult.
For the Connecticut taxpayer, who already scheduled to be squeezed for an additional $1 billion in new taxes and fees, the state employee concessions now take on a more pressing concern. Achieving the $2 billion in givebacks and concessions is the only way to avoid yet another tax hike in the near future.
