Comments(1)

|

E-mail

|

Print

I had to take a photo of this bulletin board outside of the cafeteria in the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.

Someone decided to organize a weight loss challenge at the capitol and name it after “The Biggest Loser” television program on NBC.

But it’s such an appropriate sign for this budget season, which new Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy has warned will be a time of shared sacrifice because state lawmakers’ failed to address the $3.4 billion deficit in prior legislative sessions.

“Eat up now because it’s coming in 2011,” indeed.

The moaning and groaning has already begun over Malloy’s fiscal plan, and he won’t unveil the full scope of his two year proposal until tomorrow.

Common Cause is upset with some of the agency consolidations Malloy proposed last week.

State GOP Chairman Chris Healy is complaining about the tax increases Malloy revealed on Monday.

Union leaders aren’t so far acknowledging Malloy’s call this morning for $2 billion in employee concessions, but you can bet there’s lots of behind-the-scenes grumbling.

Of course any budget ultimately needs the blessing of the Democratic-controlled General Assembly, which means it’s too soon to say who exactly is this session’s biggest loser.

Heck, at the end of the day, depending on what his own party decides to do with his first budget, it could even be Malloy.

Comments(2)

|

E-mail

|

Print

After reading about former Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Dodd’s potential gig running the Motion Picture Association of America, I put in a call to George Norfleet.

Norfleet is director of Connecticut’s Office of Film, Television and Digital Media, which has become a far more active and important operation in recent years as a result of the state providing 30 percent tax credits to qualifying productions.

I wanted confirmation that if Dodd lands the job folks in the industry in Connecticut are going to be very excited to have an inside man guiding productions our way.

Norfleet’s response was measured, but he pretty much confirmed Connecticut relies on the MPAA to lure the big studios to the state.

“They’re very important for keeping our profile as a state in front of decision-makers at the studios,” Norfleet said. “I think it definitely could be a win win situation if Senator Dodd got that position, not just for Connecticut but the film industry as a whole.”

(But I suspect Norfleet immediately hung up, piled up all of his Criterion Collection DVDs, poured on the gasoline, lit a match and sacrificed them to whatever gods will help send Dodd to Hollywood…)

Connecticut’s 30 percent film tax credits have been part of the budget battles of the past few years. Proponents say they diversify the economy, while critics argue once you get past the excitement of big stars visiting the state, the incentives do not provide enough bang for the buck.

There are also vying studies about their worthiness. Last fall the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities think tank concluded the 43 states offering film tax credits receive little money back for each $1 spent. But Connecticut’s Department of Economic Development in a recently concluded study of all of our business tax incentives said the film credits are a keeper.

New Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy, who releases his first budget on Wednesday, said in November the jury was still out on the credits, although as mayor of Stamford he certainly witnessed how they drew businesses like NBC to that city.

Wondering if anyone in the administration has put in a call to Dodd for his opinion?

Comments

|

E-mail

|

Print

New Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy and his staff have been reaching out to Republican Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero, R-Norwalk and Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield.

And the effort has not gone unappreciated, as you’ll read in our story.

Is this the start of a deep “bro-mance” bond between these three political leaders?

Referring to Malloy’s recent proposals to restructure higher education, Cafero noted his caucus has proposed similar ideas.

“I’m thrilled. Love it. Love it,” Cafero said.

And how about Malloy’s recent statements that he is expecting sacrifices from unions, the very state workers who helped elect him last November?

“It takes a lot of guts for a Democrat to do that and he did it. We await the details – how much? – but just the fact he started that, I take my hat off to him,” Cafero said.

Might Cafero later this session actually cast a vote for Malloy’s budget, scheduled to be unveiled next Wednesday, shouting “I love you, man!!!” as he pushes the green “yes” button in the House of Representatives?

Comments

|

E-mail

|

Print

As mayor of Stamford, new Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy often railed against what he considered the inequities of the state Education Cost Sharing formula used to divvy up school aid among the state’s cities and towns.

Fairfield County lawmakers from Stamford and Norwalk have continually argued the existing formula penalizes their affluence without also considering all the typical burdens faced by urban schools.

Malloy was an original plaintiff in a pending 2005 lawsuit against the ECS system.

For the above reasons the Associated Press last month wrote there is optimism Malloy will tackle the issue head on.

But not this legislative session.

Today Malloy during a meeting with the mayors of Hartford, New Haven and Bridgeport pledged not to cut ECS funds in the budget he unveils next week.

I asked Malloy if his budget will alter the formula.

“Do I believe ECS needs to be addressed? Yes,” Malloy said.

However, he said, he was only sworn in as governor on January 5 and has plenty of more immediate issues to deal with.

“There will be other things we get to talk about over the next four years,” Malloy said.

Comments(5)

|

E-mail

|

Print

The legislature’s Public Health Committee has scheduled a hearing tomorrow at 11 a.m. on a proposal to extend the state’s ban on smoking in restaurants and bars to private clubs.

Clubs were exempted from the original law, passed in 2003. And while extending the ban to those organizations has been talked about during past sessions, this is the first time it has made it to a hearing.

You can read our full report here.

In the meantime Connecticut continues to profit from the hefty $3 per pack tax levied in 2009. According to a November report from the non-partisan Office of Legislative Research, in fiscal year 2010 the state received more than $380 million from smokers still able to afford the habit.

That number is expected to rise to $402.5 million this current fiscal year, before declining to $370.3 million by fiscal year 2014.

Of course that report was issued before the bill banning smoking in private clubs.

“I’m more concerned with people’s health,” state Sen. Andrea Stillman, D-Waterford, a Health Committee co-chairman, said when I asked her if extending the restaurant/bar ban was wise during these tough fiscal times.

Stillman was not aware of New York City’s decision to end smoking in public parks. She said Connecticut residents should not be concerned her committee is contemplating a similar move.

“It’s not my intent to expand upon this bill to include something like that,” Stillman said.

Perhaps it’s only a matter of time. I imagine there were plenty of club members who thought they were safe when the restaurant/bar bill became law seven years ago.

Comments(1)

|

E-mail

|

Print

New Democratic Secretary of the State Denise Merrill is pursuing legislation that would allow her office to require cities/towns order more ballots should she determine they might face Election Day shortages.

You can read the full story about her proposal and the reaction from some key lawmakers and a state registrars group here.

Although her proposal is a direct result of Bridgeport’s failure to purchase enough ballots for last November’s hotly contested congressional and gubernatorial elections, Merrill wants it to be viewed as a way to ensure no state resident will ever be turned away from the polls.

“But I’m sure it will instantly be dubbed the ‘Bridgeport fix’ bill,” she said.

Comments(3)

|

E-mail

|

Print

Popular ex-Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell was criticized for squandering her political capital and failing to use the bully pulpit to sell her proposals to the public.

So it will be interesting to see what her successor, Democrat Dannel Malloy, meant when he told an editorial board of the Hearst Connecticut Media Group today that he intends to hit the road in a few weeks to pitch his first budget.

Colleague Ken Dixon has some of the details of the “universal sacrifices” Malloy, who inherited a $3.5 billion deficit upon being sworn-in January 5, will be seeking when he unveils the document February 16.

Pre-budget editorial boards are just one part of his strategy to convince constituents and the General Assembly to back his budget.

“I’m going to do community meetings throughout the state after we get the budget out,” Malloy said. “Yeah, we’re gonna take it on the road.”

Governor, I’d suggest before hitting the road with your list of tax increases, service cuts and labor concessions, you take some lessons in preachin’. You’ve got to start soft and low, like a small earthquake…

Comments

|

E-mail

|

Print

James Cameron, the often outspoken head of the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council, was not impressed by new Governor Dannel Malloy’s efforts yesterday to involve himself in the weather-related cuts to Metro-North rail service.

Faced with a backlog of aging cars needing repairs as a result of the harsh winter weather, Metro-North Wednesday announced it will cut service by 10 percent until March 4. Martin Cassidy, our transportation reporter, had the details.

Malloy’s office later yesterday said the governor contacted Metro-North President Howard Permut to ask about alternatives to service cuts and possible steps to expedite car repairs.

Cameron said Malloy’s time would be better spent trying to get the transportation department to provide “honest answers” to commuters about delays in the arrival of the replacement fleet of rail cars.

“For him to put a press release out saying he made a phonecall to deal with this is bull,” Cameron said. “It wasn’t helpful to make it look like he was doing something when there was nothing he could do. Want to do something? Grab an ice scraper. That’s the best thing you can do at this point.”