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Anonymous Votes Contribute to Spending Increases

Did you know, asks the Red Baron, a blogger who writes on the House Republicans’ site House Rules, “that pay raises that are arbitrated for state employees are passed by the legislature without a single vote being taken, and without your legislator being required to go on the record in favor of the pay raises or against?”

The site promises that “House Republicans will be pushing to eliminate this provision this year in an effort to control spending as Connecticut faces a $391 million deficit this year.”

The non-recording of votes not only provides cover for timid legislators who do not wish to be held responsible for votes that impact the home budgets of every voter in the state, it also increases the possibility of arbitrated salary awards.

Republicans should make a “to do” about this. Reporters in the state might very well parade the names of the willful – but anonymous -- spenders through their stories if they knew who they were. And if legislators were forces to put their fingerprints on arbitrated salary awards, the state might begin to get a handle on its out of control spending

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