Increase Governor's Budget Authority

Bravo, Governor Rell!

Your veto of the Democratic majority's recent deficit mitigation plan sheds light on the lame excuses of the Democratic leaders in the Connecticut General Assembly.

Where else can a budget deficit estimated between $337 million and $550 million be addressed by cutting expenditures a mere $12 million? Only in the Connecticut legislature - led by Democrats - Senate President Donald Williams and House Speaker Chris Donovan.

During our previous deficit mitigation deliberations I proposed doubling the Governor's statutory rescission authority. Governor Rell has proven she can make tough decisions during this budget crisis while the Democratic leaders in the legislature "kick the can down the road."

I applaud Governor Rell's proposal that a Governor's budget rescission authority be increased incrementally. This will allow the Governor to make the tough decisions the Democratic leaders are refusing to address.

The taxpayers of Connecticut demand their government live within a budget just like our residents must do with their home budgets. Let's see how fast the Democrats move this time...

Democrats’ Budget Shell Game Continues...

Following my holiday greetings this afternoon a prominent Democratic representative quipped to me, “I hope Santa Claus comes to the Capitol.” I guess that is our only hope to address our budget crisis in Connecticut at this point given the majority Democratic leaders’ unwillingness to make the tough decisions.

Governor Rell called the legislature into a special session today to address a $337 million deficit in our current state budget. The deficit number is a moving target as no economist can predict Connecticut’s tax revenues for 2009. What is clear to all budget hawks at the Capitol is the deficit is growing and we will fall off another financial cliff in the next biennium budget.

The Democrats convened the Senate and House this morning and promptly adjourned without any action on the budget deficit. The night before Speaker Donovan held a press conference showing us how their budget shell game will play out:

• Blame the Governor for everything
• Claim the Governor’s proposal will kill 5,000 jobs in the state using fuzzy math
• Claim we can “save” $100 million by postponing payments to the state employees’ pension plan at a time we are already billions of dollars short in payments
• Create another “Blue Ribbon Commission” to study municipal aid and waste participants’ time developing a report with good ideas and then ignore the report

Santa Claus is a mighty fine fellow but he is not bringing billions of dollars to Connecticut Democrats for Christmas. Speaker Donovan and Senate President Williams have proven they are unwilling to make the tough decisions Connecticut’s taxpayers are demanding – CUT SPENDING!