Ken Dixon's Blog-O-Rama

As Capitol staffers decamped for their holiday weekend this afternoon  Gov. Rell, on her way out the door to visit her daughter and grandchildren in Denver, dropped the other shoe: December 15 is the date of the sepcial session to address her proposed $470-million budget cut. She also wants the General Assembly to amend the Connecticut campaign-finance law, which was recently thrown out in a federal court ruling.

“Failure to swiftly address this budget shortfall will only lead us into a deeper hole – one that we cannot afford to close by borrowing more or raising taxes again,” rell said in a release. “These are painful cuts, to be sure, but the Legislature must make them now to ensure that Connecticut returns to solid financial footing.”

Sanford, who recently mistook his extramarital affair in Argentina for a hike on the Appalachian trail, must be getting serious about escaping an impeachment investigation. He’s hired Ross Garber, the Hartford lawyer who’s best known for his 2004 defense of John “Why Should I Resign If I’ve Done Nothing Wrong?” Rowland. While it didn’t work out too great for Rowland (who resigned in late June after the state Supreme Court ordered that he testify to the House Select Committee of Inquiry and in December waived a federal corruption indictment on his way to a 10-month prison sentence), Garber – called The Baby Food King by certain Capitol reporters who noted the general similarity of his surname to “Gerber” during his unsuccessful run for State Treasurer as a Republican 2002, has gone on to make the big bucks for Shipman and Goodwin. The AP reports that S&G is getting a relatively meager $150/hour.

 George “Doc” Gunther of Stratford, the longest-serving state senator until his retirement a few years back, turned 90 yesterday and enjoyed a surprise birthday party at the Stanziale Restaurant across from the old Army Engine Plant on Main Street in his hometown. Monday, he continued the celebration by getting yet another dose of chemo for that kidney cancer that resulted in the removal of said organ.

“I’ve only had two birthday parties in my life,” the crusty former lawmaker just told the Blogster, sounding as if he had just had a couple liters of Spaten. The first birthday party was 10 years ago, when Doc was directed to a spot in the Capitol for no particular reason. He very nearly blew it off and drove home. “I got to the Capitol turnaround and said, ‘oh I’ll go talk to these people,” Gunther remembered. “Then I went to the wrong room, but someone finally spotted me.”

 Gunther said his old buddy, the late Fred Biebel, helped set up Sunday’s party, along with Kaye Williams, patriarch of Captain’s Cove in Bridgeport and Gunther’s daughter.

 ”Honestly, I didn’t know anything about it,” Gunther said, describing how he was conned into going out for a private family dinner Sunday that turned into a party for Gunther and 100 other folks. He gripped that there was only one German dish at the Italian place: a roll of beef with veggies and red cabbage. He’s down to a dose of chemo every other week.

Doc’s words of wisdom: “I don’t look forward to living 110 yrs.”‘

The Blogster just heard that second-term state Rep. Jason Bartlett, D-Bethel, vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee, was busted this week in Newtown for motor vehicle violations, including driving without a license; a suspended registration; and no insurance. To top it off, he was using a hand-held cell phone, with an outstanding cell-phone violation hanging fire. Talk about fodder for a potential Republican challenger in 2010.

Geary Maher, who’s soon retiring as director of the Legislature’s nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis, is retiring while the gettin’ is good. Right now, he’s painting a very-grim picture indeed for lawmakers during a hearing in the Legislative Office Building.

Forget the generally minuscule $386-million deficit in the current budget. Starting in the budget that begins July 1 of next year, the state has a baseline deficit of $287 million, plus a potential for nearly $2 billion more in red ink if rosy projections fall apart, like a planned unrealistic $530.4 million in agency savings called lapses that over the last 10 years have averaged $218 million a year; like $200 million in budgeted savings within the state department of Social Services; like $1.29 billion in securitization: borrowing against a future, yet-undetermined revenue stream.

That brings us to Fiscal Year 2012 and 2013, which will have deficits of $3 billion and $3.2 billion respectively, according to OFA. Those tsunamis of red ink are expected because lawmakers this year are using the $1.4-billion Rainy Day Fund; the $1.5-billion federal stimulus program; plus the bonding of $925 million to retire the budget that ended June 30. (yes, that move was like getting a new credit card to pay off the exorbitant balances on your other cards) All those one-shot revenues that the Republican governor and the Democratic-controlled General Assembly are burning up, will make the state’s fiscal outlook very, very bad for the next few years.

And remember that bone to taxpayers: reducing the 6 percent sales tax down to 5.5 percent next January 1 if tax revenues can stay level? Well, they’re not coming in as hoped, so don’t plan on that meager relief as we head into the 2010, election cycle. For those of you who want to keep score at home, Democrats currently control the House 114-37 and the Senate 24-12, for now.

“I want to thank Chairman Healy for his kind words and encouragement of my potential candidacy in the Fifth Congressional District.  Over the last several days I have been exploring this option with Chairman Healy and other leaders in the party who have reached out to me in support of this move.  My goal has always been to best serve the people of Connecticut by reviving our economy, reforming government, and restoring fiscal responsibility.  Over the coming days, I will make a decision on how I can best continue to fight for those principles and serve the people of Connecticut.”