Where’s My Surplus?

Below is an excerpt from the Office of Fiscal Analysis’ Overview of Governor Malloy’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget. Spending is increased, taxes are increased, the surplus all but disappears, consolidations produce no real savings, savings decrease and there is some confusing motion in the bottom line of the budget – none of which is good. Here’s hoping the relevant legislative committees read the report.

Highlights of OFA Synopsis of FY 13 Revised Budget Appropriations

Synopsis of Governor s FY 13 Revised Budget Appropriations Committee Hearing

February 9, 2012

1:00 PM

OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS

The following is intended to provide information on the Governor’s FY 13 Revised Budget for the Appropriations Committee as background for the OPM presentation. Since the budget was released only recently, we have tried to highlight the major areas of interest rather than provide a comprehensive analysis of the budget and revenue plan. Such analysis will be undertaken by the Committee with the assistance of OFA staff in the coming weeks.

I. OVERVIEW

Original FY 13 Budget Balance - The original FY 13 budget contained a $488.5 million General Fund surplus. Assuming the use of $50.0 million in funds for GAAP reserve and a projected decrease in FY 13 revenues (based on the January 17, 2012 consensus), the current balance for FY 13 stands at $299.8 million (assuming no change in bottom-line spending). The growth rate between the original FY 12 and FY 13 budgets is 1.3% (General Fund and all funds).

Governor’s Revised FY 13 Budget Balance - The Governor’s FY 13 Revised Budget increases spending by a net $313.9 million in the General Fund ($329.0 million in all funds). It also increases revenue by a net $15.7 million. When factoring in the loss of $138.7 million in projected revenue as a result of the January 17th consensus, the revised budget achieves a balance of $51.6 million in the General Fund. Assuming the use of $50.0 million in funds for a GAAP reserve, the balance is $1.6 million. The growth rate between the original FY 12 and the revised FY 13 budget is 3.1% (3.2% for all funds).

Lapses (Bottom-Line Reductions) - The original FY 13 budget contains $1.0 billion in various lapses (in all funds). Of this amount, $901.2 million relates to the labor management savings (Revised SEBAC 2011 Agreement).

The Governor’s revised budget: (1) eliminates the $901.2 million in SEBAC lapses (reductions) from the bottom of the budget, (2) moves $647.9 million of these reductions directly into individual agency budgets (see Appendix B for agency list), and (3) increases the existing Legislative branch lapses by $2.0 million, and (4) increases the Judicial branch lapses by $4.8 million.

Agency Consolidations/Program Transfers - The revised budget consolidates 13 state agencies into six agencies (five current and one new agency). This reduces the total number of state agencies from 59 to 52 (a 11.9% reduction). There does not appear to be savings or position reductions attributable to these consolidations. Detail on these consolidations appears within the “Financial Tables” section.

In addition, the revised budget transfers various programs and functions across several state agencies. A table listing the significant transfers of programs and functions between agencies along with the funding and associated positions appears within the “Financial Tables” section.

Casey Chadwick’s Uneasy Life after Death

Casey and her mother Wendy "I just started grief counseling. I'm always sad. I'm sad and in pain and I miss her." Wendy Hartling Hartling is the mother of Casey Chadwick, murdered in 2015 by Jean Jacques , an illegal Haitian immigrant. Jacques was convicted of the murder of Chadwick in a New London Superior Court jury trial and sentenced by Judge Barbara Bailey Jongbloed to a 60 year term in prison. Since Jacques is 44 years of age, the sentence was, in effect, a life sentence. Connecticut Commentary coverage of the Chadwick murder may be found here , and here and here . Jacques could not have been sentenced to death because Connecticut’s Democrat dominated General Assembly, under pressure from the state Supreme Court, had abolished Connecticut’s death penalty law in 2012 . The slaughter of Chadwick was particularly brutal. Her body had been found by a friend who, opening a door to a closet, discovered Chadwick stuffed in a dark corner drenched in blo...

Understanding North Korea Through Dramaturgy

The U.S. military is sending the Vinson Strike Group, including the carrier and two guided-missile destroyers, to operate in the Western Pacific Ocean in response to Pyongyang’s recent missile tests. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, asked about the strike force, issued a terse statement: “The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment.” Is this a post-Syrian bombing mission? Will the US take out North Korea’s missile launching sites, possibly with the unspoken concurrence of China? Never let a bombing go to waste. There are some in the United States who think any such incident should be used to rid North Korea of that runty little totalitarian cock-of-the-walk who keeps his countrymen starved, in fear and at his knees. Since we only have one chance, they say, go for the clean sweep -- no more Kims. Connecticut Commentary is reprinting an earlier piece about the Kims here. Best read with a glass of port.

The Blumenthal Burisma Connection

Steve Hilton , a Fox News commentator who over the weekend had connected some Burisma corruption dots, had this to say about Connecticut U.S. Senator Dick Blumenthal’s association with the tangled knot of corruption in Ukraine: “We cross-referenced the Senate co-sponsors of Ed Markey's Ukraine gas bill with the list of Democrats whom Burisma lobbyist, David Leiter, routinely gave money to and found another one -- one of the most sanctimonious of them all, actually -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal."

Connecticut Commentary: Red Notes from a Blue State

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