From what I’ve heard, tomorrow (Thursday) some of the state’s employee unions are going to release the results of a recent poll asking taxpayers how they feel about “slashing” public services to address the budget deficits.
The unions are fighting anticipated cuts by Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who has promised to unveil a painful budget on Feb. 4 that will likely also suggest consolidations, early retirements and perhaps layoffs.
Since the unions are releasing the poll results, I’m sure the data is in their favor.
But it will be interesting to see if the pollsters asked whether state residents are willing to pay higher taxes to avoid cuts in services.
Where I come from, there’s a rule: when times get tough, don’t eat the seed corn.
I’m a state employee and have seen the budgets to my agency—Southern Connecticut State University—shrinking for years. Meanwhile the service we provide when we educate the students of Connecticut is in more demand than ever. Without a highly educated, nimble workforce we’ll be left behind no matter what path the recovery takes. Of course I want to be part of a long-term solution to the state’s economic crisis; of course I’ll do my part and so will the members of my union. But cutting the services that we ALL depend on when times get tough is the absolute wrong way for the people of Connecticut to pull ourselves out of this mess.
We need to push our representatives in the government to think about the long-term vitality and stability of the working families in the state, and that means maintaining health, education, public safety—without those things, nothing grows.
Comment by Cindy — January 31st, 2009 @ 1:39 pm
The taxpayers should be concerned about how much this will cost them in the long run. It’s just like the old saying “penny wise pound foolish”. It always seems the ones most in need are the ones who get left out in the cold.
Comment by Lois — February 1st, 2009 @ 9:37 am