Two Budgets, Three State Legislators and Billions of Dollars

Tuesday’s “town hall” meeting on Connecticut’s finances was all about numbers: Three legislators took the stage, about 20 people were in attendance and a pair of budgets differing by $6 billion was at the forefront of the discussion.

Some of the people in the crowd at the Westport Center for Senior Activities were concerned that despite all of the talks of cuts and tax increases, Connecticut’s spending is still increasing in the biennial budget passing through the legislature.

“The only winners here are the people that have their hands out and employees of the state,” said John Coydendall, of Westport. “All the other taxpayers, the 3 million of us who live here as opposed to the 55,000 [state] workers, are losers.”

In a display of bipartisanship, state Sen. Toni Boucher, R-26, state Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-136, and state Rep. Kim Fawcett, D-133, each took turns breaking down Connecticut’s revenues, expenses and the process behind the approval of Connecticut's two-year budget.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's budget passed through the Finance and Appropriations Committees in the legislature with some key changes and a pricetag of $42.4 billion. Alternatively, Republicans in the minority issued their own budget, which includes no tax increases and total spending of $36.4. Neither have been adopted yet. Differences of opinion amongst the politicians came to a head when the two proposals were brought up.

Fawcett, a Democrat, voted against her party when the Malloy’s budget was in committee, but questioned the viability of the Republican plan.

“I voted no because I don’t think we had a serious enough talk to find those spending reductions,” Fawcett said. “But with that being said, saying to people that you can balance the budget with zero tax increases is not a feasible solution to me. There are so many holes. “

A budget with no tax increases, similar to that of New York and New Jersey, was exactly what one person wanted. He asked why Connecticut’s governor hasn’t done this, drawing applause from the crowd.

“Would you like to have New Jersey’s education system?” asked Steinberg.

Some in the crowd shouted “yes.”

Fawcett said the problem with eliminating taxes is that municipalities – particularly cities - will suffer a drop in funding.

“I don’t want my kids to have ruined schools, but I don’t mind if class size goes up a little bit,” said Fawcett, a Fairfield resident. “I don’t mind if my suburban school makes some cuts to get through this time, but we are going to destroy public education in the inner cities if we cut their funding by this much.”

Boucher countered that the Republican budget plans to provide ways for municipalities to raise money and that taxpayers are looking for a reduction in spending – not an increase – in this budget.

Steinberg said that the budget for the next two years is just the start of cost savings that had been neglected for years.

“We’re not done,” he said. “We are just now beginning looking at the kind of cuts this state needs to make over a long-term basis. “

Toward the end of the town hall meeting, the three legislators found agreement in two different subjects. First, that there is no excuse for longevity bonuses, which grant state employees money simply for staying on the job.

Second, University of Connecticut men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun and the other UConn coaches have been worthwhile investments by the state.