With state unions having rejected a $1.6 billion concessions package needed to balance the two-year budget, Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy is asking legislators to grant him the authority to make at least $700 million worth of cuts in the fiscal year that begins Friday.
Lawmakers, who convene in special session Thursday, are torn on the issue. Some say grant the governor’s request, within reason, and others say the General Assembly should vote on the cuts ’cause that’s their job.
Put ex-House Speaker Moira Lyons, a Democrat from Malloy’s hometown of Stamford, in the latter category.
Lyons acknowledged that when a member of the legislature she voted to grant then-Republican Gov. John Rowland some additional budget-cutting powers. Malloy has in fact been correctly pointing out his request is nothing new.
But, Lyons said in an interview this afternoon, ”$700 million’s an awful lot. I’d be reticent to do that. I think we (as legislators) have a responsibility. I did it once when we had (a) $35 million (deficit). But $700 million’s a lot of reduction.”
Moira’s no dummy, and is rightfully concerned that giving Dannel carte blanche over budget cuts is a dumb and dangerous thing to do – especially when the budget is $700+M out of kilter.
Fact: Dan has mischief on his mind, and needs to be denied this self-serving request. Let the legislators do the work that they’ve been elected to do, and let the (political) chips fall where they may. Either way, the results will be telling, and will expose the Democrats for what they really are: Masters of illusion.
Hopefully CT taxpayers will wake up and correct this problem (fiscal profligacy and mismanagement…) in upcoming elections, and elect real fiscal conservatives who will pull CT out of the ditch, rather than digging the ditch deeper.
Dannel Malloy: One-term governor.
Lyons’ point is well taken.
The legislature should not abdicate its responsibilities, much less a second time.
Moira’s no dummy, and is rightfully concerned that giving Dannel carte blanche over budget cuts is a dumb and dangerous thing to do – especially when the budget is $700+M out of kilter.
Fact: Dan has mischief on his mind, and needs to be denied this self-serving request. Let the legislators do the work that they’ve been elected to do, and let the (political) chips fall where they may. Either way, the results will be telling, and will expose the Democrats for what they really are: Masters of illusion.
Hopefully CT taxpayers will wake up and correct this problem (fiscal profligacy and mismanagement…) in upcoming elections, and elect real fiscal conservatives who will pull CT out of the ditch, rather than digging the ditch deeper.
Dannel Malloy: One-term governor.