Give Up On Getting a New Budget By September First: Deal Depends on Democrats Scrounging Up $520 Million in Spending Cuts

The Blogster’s training and experience is telling him that even though Gov. Joi Rell caved on added taxes for the state’s wealthiest, Democrats will just not come up with a requisite $520 million in spending cuts in time to vote a budget on Monday or Tuesday. The majority Ds tossed out a little distraction yesterdayover an alleged revenue shortfall in Rell’s latest proposal, but Bob Genuario, secreyary of the Office of Policy and Management, told reporters this afternoon that the discrepancy was mostly ironed out. “We’re $250 million closer,” Genuario said. “It’s good news in terms of a final budget solution.” He said the Thursday issue was a “distraction from the real work.”

That aforementioned real work is Rell’s requirement that Democrats come up with $520 million in spending cuts for the two-year package. He was hoping to get them today, but as of 4:30, they haven’t arrived. What’s the status of talks? Genuario’s waiting for a phonecall over the weekend from the Ds. “If they do their job and they achieve a package consistent with the governor’s proposal and the promises they’ve given, we can get a new budget in place by September 1,” Genuario said.

Now’s the time for the Blogster to harken back to the “counch cushion” money that Speaker of the House Chris Donovan was confient could reach more than $200 million. It turned out to be less than half that, from various agency accounts.