Connecticut Commentary: Red Notes from a Blue State

On Friday, Feb 6, hours after Governor Jodi Rell had laid out her budget proposal urbi et orbi, Daniel Livingston, an attorney for the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, professed that unions were disappointed in the governor’s no tax budget. Livingston told the Hartford Courant , “The direction she is pushing the budget (sic), we believe, is irresponsible. It’s an anti-stimulus package. It’s the traditional Republican playbook. It’s not the time for the same old, same old. It’s going to make the economy worse.” The unions also wrote a “Dear Jodi” letter to the governor in which they said, “It is time to say openly and frankly to the people of this state that revenue enhancements [union verbiage for tax increases] should be raised in order to close the budget gap and preserve public services.” No one who has been watching the news should be surprised at these entrenchments. Unions have issued previous communications of the same sort, one of them just before Rell’s address in ...

Governor Jodi Rell warned in a short public address that her budget would be like no other, and this was easily dismissed by her usual opponents. Now that she has put some flesh on the bare bones of her earlier statement, the same folk have gone apoplectic. Rell’s remarks certainly are a flag around which Republicans may rally. Below is an edited portion of the meatier part of her budget address : Well, to the soothsayers and naysayers I say: Step aside. We need leaders. Help me as I lead Connecticut to a smaller, more affordable, more responsive government. It starts with fewer state agencies. My budget eliminates 10 of them. All serve worthy purposes on paper, but all have functions largely duplicated by regular state agencies. In times of plenty they are helpful. In times such as these they are unaffordable. Families are making do with less – so can we. My budget also eliminates 10 other agencies through logical consolidations. Stand-alone entities are simply not needed. Families ar...