Tell me something I didn't know...II
Gov. Rell, battling a cold, cut her State of the State adress short -- a mere 17 minutes. The focus of her address was the difficult challenges the state is facing...emphasizing that point by using the word "challenges" 17 times — almost once a minute.
But we already know that.
There was little "news" to the governor's address. She basically repeated what she has been saying for months -- that her proposed two-year budget will inclue "deep cuts" affecting "every state agency, state program and state service offered."
I didn't expect that she would get into details, but I had hoped that she might have been a bit more insightful in providing some specifics of just what "painful and not easy" choices are being made. Looks like we'll have to wait until Feb. 4 to hear the devil that lies within the details.
She did, however, strike the right note in saying that "government must shrink." There is no question the size of state government, in terms of people and programs, have grown over the last decade -- and now is the time to cut back.
But I'm not convinced that she can fully offset the impact of a projected $6 billion shortfall in revenues over the next two years through spending cuts alone. There's a difference between cutting back, and cutting off.
But we already know that.
There was little "news" to the governor's address. She basically repeated what she has been saying for months -- that her proposed two-year budget will inclue "deep cuts" affecting "every state agency, state program and state service offered."
I didn't expect that she would get into details, but I had hoped that she might have been a bit more insightful in providing some specifics of just what "painful and not easy" choices are being made. Looks like we'll have to wait until Feb. 4 to hear the devil that lies within the details.
She did, however, strike the right note in saying that "government must shrink." There is no question the size of state government, in terms of people and programs, have grown over the last decade -- and now is the time to cut back.
But I'm not convinced that she can fully offset the impact of a projected $6 billion shortfall in revenues over the next two years through spending cuts alone. There's a difference between cutting back, and cutting off.
posted by Ray Hackett at 2:58 PM
1 Comments:
I, too, am curious to learn how she intends to 'shrink' state government and fear she might decrease the (already inadequate) funding provided to municipalities across the state now, this lowering the costs of those programs, to include a reduction in the PILOT rates of reimbursement, from Hartford's perspective.
She and the Legislature will achieve a balanced budget on paper and leave cash-strapped local governments to increase the already burdensome property taxes residents pay, as other revenue streams such as a local increase in the sales tax, the levying of a hotel or hospitality surcharge, are not options for anyone but the state.
All of us will rely more on those of you in print and electronic media to accurately and fully report (and where necessary, offer analysis) on efforts to further fiscal fitness.
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