Gov. Dannel Malloy invited reporters to attend the first meeting of his commissioners since announcing his budget this month, then scared them off with wonkish presentations from the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Banking.
But first, Malloy told the 55 people jammed into a tiny fourth-floor meeting room in the Capitol that many of them will be part of the consolidation of agencies.
“Many of you in this room will have a role to play in that context, but I did make a pledge that we were going to eliminate by a third the number of silos or departments or agencies in this first go ‘round,” he said. “That’s just a start…. So I look to all of you for your support in having this budget adopted. I look to all of you for your support in executing the vision, which I have laid out for the state. I hope that you can join me in that vision. If you can’t, I hope you find something else to do.”
The room filled with not-so nervous laughter.