Letter to Editor: Budget Blocked During Special Session
To the Editor,
At Monday’s House Special Session, I supported an amendment to allow the minority party to petition and introduce a budget for the entire chamber’s consideration. If passed, this would have served as a mechanism for the chamber to deliberate and vote on a fully vetted, proposed Republican budget or, leverage it into a compromise budget, satisfying the legislature’s primary responsibility: producing a balanced budget with which to operate our state.
The House Democrats voted the amendment down on a party-line vote of 77-71. Why was the Republican budget suppressed? Majority leadership feared its passage.
To me, the vote to block a budget debate solidifies the fact that majority leadership is not fit to lead. Consideration didn’t guarantee support of this budget, it simply allowed a good-faith proposal to be introduced, debated and acted upon by the House of Representatives.
Instead, the majority party put the cart before the horse and debated a labor agreement to commit state dollars for the next ten years. Regardless of revenue, fiscal condition or ability to pay, taxpayers would be committed. This agreement will also limit future legislatures and governor ability to allocate resources as needed to stop the fiscal hemorrhaging our state has been “bargained to” by the majority party, in lieu of workable solutions and presenting a budget proposal of their own.
My colleagues and I have had budget proposals ready to deliberate since April. Why isn’t the entire legislature moving at light speed to break a budget impasse that’s causing suffering and uncertainty, nearly two-months past the statutory due date? How can anyone ignore their responsibility to present a budget and instead allow the Governor to cut programs and services for our most vulnerable citizens, by Executive Order? Hundreds of children, seniors and folks with disabilities are losing critical, existing state services due to legislative leadership’s inaction.
We value education in Newtown but, with no state budget, our schools are left to wonder if or how much the Governor will cut our state educational cost sharing allocation. A month away from schools’ opening, how can schools plan staffing and student resources? Our town passed its budget back on April 25, yet is equally unknowing about the status of municipal revenue sharing dollars, used to shelter property owners from state-driven property tax increases, maintain roads and more.
It’s sad that, as Connecticut taxpayers, our voices are stifled in Hartford by the inability of House Democrat leadership to think outside the tax increase box. With viable options on the table, it’s time to act on a budget, not deflect focus to an inadequate, status quo labor agreement for a select few-thousand state employees that will adversely affect the rest of us by restricting the ability and flexibility of state government to allocate funds to the people, places and programs that need them. No budget? That’s just wrong.
I voted “NEA” on the labor agreement because it fails to yield the savings required to balance a state budget without raising taxes. The status quo no longer works for Connecticut and this agreement is just more same cronyism that’s produced our current $5.1-Billion deficit. In an impassioned floor speech*, I urged colleagues to join together to reject the agreement and further negotiate. Unfortunately, only one Legislative Democrat had the courage to vote with the taxpayers, against the deal and it passed, 78-72. It’s now up the Senate to do what’s right for Connecticut and reject it on Monday, July 31st.
What we did as a legislature during Monday’s session was a disservice to the citizens of Connecticut. It’s time to debate the real issues and pass a responsible budget that pays down the state’s mounting debt and does not raise your taxes. We MUST do this. Now.
Sincerely,
Mitch Bolinsky
Assistant Republican Leader
State Representative, 106th District