15 moderate Dems warn against borrowing, urge swift passage of deficit reduction plan
by Christine Stuart | Mar 9, 2010 9:03pm
(8) Comments | Commenting has expired
Posted to: State Budget
Four Democratic Senators and 11 Democratic Representatives sent this letter Tuesday to Senate President Donald Williams and House Speaker Chris Donovan urging them to take swift action on Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s budget mitigation package. The letter also warned Democratic leaders about future borrowing and emphasized the need for spending cuts.
“We need solutions NOW that do not exacerbate the problems that loom for the foreseeable future,” the letter says. “We can no longer wait or hope for a miracle on Capitol Avenue.”
The letter was signed by Sens. Gayle Slossberg of Milford, Bob Duff of Norwalk, Joan Hartley of Waterbury, Paul Doyle of Wethersfield, and Reps. Linda Schofield of Simsbury, Kim Fawcett and Thomas Drew of Fairfield, Chris Perone of Norwalk, Elizabeth Esty of Cheshire, Christopher Wright of Bristol, Ted Moukawsher of New London, John Mazurek of Wolcott, Terry Backer of Stratford, Tom Reynolds of Ledyard, and Steven Mikutel of Griswold.
“While no solution is easy or without pain, we all have a responsibility to the taxpayers of this state to get our fiscal house in order,” the letter says. “The only way we can responsibly address the current deficit is to immediately reduce spending.”
Donovan appeared unfazed by the letter.
“It’s always good to get input from people in the caucus,” he said Tuesday evening, adding that House Democrats are working on a budget mitigation package of their own and will be holding a hearing on it later this week. He refused to say when the General Assembly would vote on a deficit reduction package, which is likely to include an increased tax on wealthy estates. Rell vetoed similar legislation in December.
Derek Slap, spokesman for Williams, said the letter articulates what Williams has been saying both publicly and privately for months. “The General Assembly should pass a mitigation plan and the governor should sign it ASAP,” Slap said.
House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero was a bit more critical of what he thought the letter signaled.
“We’re 10 months away from an election and they found religion,” Cafero said. “My guess is those 15 Democrats are from suburban districts that possibly could go Republican in November.”
If he was picking and choosing, Cafero said it’s not out of character for Hartley, Duff, or even Doyle to express these sorts of opinions. But he says he is surprised at some of the other signatures.
“People ain’t going to be fooled,” Cafero said.
However, lawmakers like Perone say they have been concerned about the state’s fiscal situation since the previous election.
“The financial health of the state is more important than my re-election,” Perone said Tuesday.
Balancing the budget this year, while fixing the structural budget holes over the next two fiscal years, is not something Perone takes lightly and he wants the state to get it right.
As he walks this tightrope, Perone says he understands that his position on the budget and the state’s fiscal future comes with consequences.
“I’ve got people in my caucus calling me a Blue Dog, while the other side is saying I’ve gotten religion,” Perone said, adding that he has not been inconsistent on the budget.
But the 15 lawmakers who signed the letter Tuesday may only be the tip of the iceberg.
Sources say there are several more Democratic lawmakers who may align themselves with an as-yet unrevealed group of more fiscally conservative Democrats in the future.
(8) Comments
posted by: DrHunterSThompson | March 10, 2010 8:32am
i think the plan is a bit of a cop out. quite honestly, the administration is holding it’s breath for the remainder of the term.
having said that, however, the plan is the only thing we have at the moment and we might as well pass it and get to work on the bigger issue - next year.
but the people of Meriden have to help us out in the next election - Donovan is the problem. he must go.
HST
posted by: CT Jim | March 10, 2010 10:12am
Donovan is not the problem here the republicans are.
The happless administration who has lost out on billions from the federal government and continues to hire friends and political hacks to state jobs at 100K plus at break neck speeds. Heck the guy who put the hot tub in Rowlands cabin just got his brother a job at more than 100K and if the republicans win control of the governors mansion again none of these guys will be let go and they will only swell the ranks.
There is one agency where they have only 500 workers (including supervisors) yet have over 100 managers appointed by the past 3 republican governors. So doc this is Donovans fault??
Nice try, it is time to tell these hacks to get real jobs that pay that minimum wage they truly deserve.
posted by: GoatBoyPHD | March 10, 2010 12:28pm
Donovan’s time has past.
The Assembly needs another leader. Someone young enough to look 25 years out and see something besides death in a Florida old folks home. Someone that has something to live for.
posted by: redman | March 10, 2010 2:43pm
Democrats steadfastly refuse to cut programs so the alternative is raise taxes, deadly during a recession, or borrow money.
posted by: Matt W. | March 10, 2010 3:16pm
CT Jim, I couldn’t agree more. We should begin laying off these public employees immediately.
Perhaps Donovan will include that in his deficit reduction plan?
posted by: CT Jim | March 10, 2010 5:21pm
Unfortunatley Matt these employees are appointments by the executive branch and would require the Governor to expose any sort of leadership and say enough is enough.
But the exact opposite is happening. The governor is actually hiring more of these people every day.
posted by: City Hall Watch | March 10, 2010 5:44pm
CT Jim:
You are quite the partisan. Pls list all the people who have been hired and how you arrived at this number of 25% are managers. If true, that’s shocking and honestly, hard to believe. You have your head in the sand if you think Donovan has any serious plan for cutting the deficit or for that matter, that whatever votes he’s taken has just been ignored by the Gov. It’s past time to solve this budget problem and the longer it goes unsolved, the worse it gets. We are now in exactly the same place we were last year when we borrowed a billion at the last minute; and we’re exactly where we were in July when Donovan and company knew the budget was not balanced. It’s still not balanced and pretending it’s somebody else’s fault is just pathetic.
posted by: CT Jim | March 10, 2010 8:49pm
City,
I guess you only watch if its a Democratic city but if it’s republican you want some sort of concrete proof.
Well city if you look you will see that the brother of the corrupt contractor who installled the hot tub for your buddy Johnny Boy Rowland just landed a $130,000 job to do nothing!
Also the Governors Legal council just got appointed to a $135,000 a year job at DPUC and that appoimntment is good for 5 years!!!!
So city can you please do some of your own homework. you are starting to sound a lot like the head of the Republican party in CT which you should at least acknowledge who you are.
