Connecticut State Workers Accused of stealing storm aid for the poor
and a few were making … wait for it … $100,000. Yep that’s right. Connecticut, with some of the most handsomely compensated public workers in the world, had as many as 800 state workers apply and receive federal funds meant for low income residents affected by tropical storm Irene last September. 15 of them made a nice chunk of change. Unreal.
It’s an embarrassment for a state whose debt per capita is among the highest in the country, if not the highest, and whose union/pay/pension choke hold on the budget for decades led to the highest middle class tax increase in the history of the state … a little more than $1.4 billion dollars, and Connecticut has been around since 1635.
And yet somehow it’s still not enough. Somehow, the entitled class, the political class, still need more.
The first 15 people suspected of fraudulently receiving Storm Irene food aid cash are highly compensated state employees.
It comes as the Governor said the culture of state government must change so that employees are not afraid to report problems to their managers.
The Governor said there must be more openness in state government, and the events of the past five days prove it.
“If anyone in state government is aware of any fraud being perpetrated anywhere in the system by anyone, I want to know about it immediately,” said Dannel P. Malloy.
The Governor told his commissioners today that he wants to change the culture of state government, so that employees aren’t afraid to come forward to their managers.
Mark Davis at WTNH has done a great job covering this:
Make note of Mark’s last line, state employees uncovered the fraud. Well they should. It’s their job. Plus I recognize only 15 of the 800 have been nabbed so far and there are more than 50,000 state employees. But it’s a black eye on the state and their union brothers. There’s a culture of entitlement in our entire country … but when it infect highly compensated public employees it takes entitlement to a whole new level.
Don’t be surprised if that 800 number gets whittled down, and only a couple employees are sacrificed. Don’t be surprised to see the union step in and make sure all still receive compensation. It is the way these days, and it’s indefensible.
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Corrupticut – the national laughingstock producing ex-citizens daily.
It’s not so much that they needed it, but that they felt that they were ENTITLED to it.?? Another effect of the growing entitlement society.
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They should be canned and their pensions recycled to offset the huge pension deficit.?? That will put a stop to it.
“They should be canned and their pensions recycled to offset the huge pension deficit.?? That will put a stop to it.”
wow..I agree Dimsdale!
Love that common ground!? 😉
I will believe they will get canned when I see it. One or two sacrificial lambs ready to retire anyway. Bah, Bah! Sorry, the Unions are really strong here and will protect everybody that they can get away with.
Hmmm, how did the people who applied for the Federal Aid even learn about it? Out here in the sticks, nothing was said. And, why just in the Hartford area, are they more deserving, more entitled? Whatever, the whole episode is embarrassing and humiliating for the state. Hang um high.
There is an old saying that can be applied to the culture of corruption in the state workforce here in Corrupticut (I like that!), “The fish rots from the head down.”
Our little bantam Malloy has a Herculean task if he wants to change the culture of state government. Does that mean he is resigning?
JBS, that was eloquent and I can’t add a word. I love the ending, we can only hope, for that.
On Malloy: I forget what town he came from, Gold Coast somewhere (?), but, his sending town was glad, nay, HAPPY? to be rid of him.
And, in time we will be ECSTATIC to see him voted out, though his legacy will haunt us for eternity. I can only hope that his arrogance will irretrievably irk the unions into pulling their support for him. We can hope . . .
“Our little bantam Malloy has a Herculean task if he wants to change the culture of state government. Does that mean he is resigning?”
Umm, no, he wants to change the Rowland/Rell corruption that existed.
That must be a trivial pursuit given the preponderance of Democrats in state office.
On Eric Holder: Michelle Malkin wrote a nice column (page 6A, Republican American, Saturday, 12/10/12, Op-Ed Page) about the Regime’s tainted appointments and Holder was, err, mentioned. He’s scandal material, especially if he can be conclusively linked to planning, implementing and covering up the Fast and Furious program. Yep, link him right to the White House!
The state workers are following the (supposed) leaders who have set?bad examples for a long time.
-?? @ JBS – From a very reliable source: There were lines of folks in Middletown.? Some getting our of very nice cars / SUV’s.? How the word got out, who knows.
– @ Dims and crystal4? -??Add to the list the idiots in DC who wasted US taxpayers $$ by sending it here.? Add to that the top 4 CT DSS management people who failed to do anything right.
” Add to the list the idiots in DC who wasted US taxpayers $$ by sending it here. ”
Are you that insulated that you think no one in CT is struggling? wow
“The state workers are following the (supposed) leaders who have set?bad examples for a long time.”
And so far the 3 names that were leaked were state troopers…I am shocked and dismayed…I too thought all the names would be management from the state offices, the cronies that the corrupt Rowland/Rell administration had put in place…but I am sure those people will come to light as well.
Yup, to all of the above
?
Agreed, but the problem is with the employees themselves and with the systems that those less that honest state workers game. There are many fine state workers who have a exemplary careers; there are a few who will take the easy advantage all of the time.? The Rowland and Rell administrations spanned 16 years. Much mischief was managed there. A great many of the state workers added then were replacements for hires made during the Grasso, O’Neill and Weicker terms. Cronyism? It’s a safe bet.
Cronyism and nepotism have been endemic to Connecticut’s state employee ranks. Contract language and employment vetting has reduced to number of family employees concurrently working for the state, but cronyism is still rampant. The towns are another matter entirely. And, there are all of those political appointments. There is no excuse for well compensated state employees acting unethically, no matter when they were hired.