"Do nothing" budget ok'd
The Courant's Capitol Watch (by Christopher Keating) is reporting that Legislative Democrats have agreed to a budget with Gov. Jodi Rell. Basically, they've agreed to keep the budget that was adopted last year.
And if that sounds a bit strange, my understanding is that after every legislative election, the legislature adopts a two-year budget... then during the following year, usually there are changes the second year of the two-year budget. So to make no changes this year is unusual in that Hartford is "doing nothing."
And that's exactly how Legislative Republicans are painting this budget... saying that this budget will "do nothing," but should "do something." I agree.
A few months ago the state supposedly had a surplus of $200million. Today, the Governor says that surplus has become a $20million deficit. And state Controller, Nancy Wyman, says the state has an $80million deficit. Things only appear to be worsening... and Hartford decides to "do nothing."
As for what it means locally... when the Council voted on the budget last month, we were being told to expect an additional $160,000 in state aid next year. I thought it was wishful thinking then... and now I'm feeling more and more that the news will get even worse. I wouldn't be surprised to get another mid-year funding cut.
Tim White
3 comments:
How can the state just jerk us around saying there's a huge surplus one month and then a large deficit the next month? Who's the jerk doing the books?
Tim, I think you need to get up there are straighten out their books! Oh, and make sure they put a freeze on any discretionary funds - they can keep that 1/2 million Amann wanted to give us for turf. It's not the kind of "green" that we need.
the problem with a "progressive" tax structure is the super-rich don;t have regular incomes--many make a killing one out of every three/four years and spend the intervening time setting up their next big deal...so when very few made their big score in '07 the April returns were below expectations
That might be true but they collect 4-5% from every (legal) working person in CT each pay day. Everybody just didn't stop working. Give me a break.
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