Connecticut’s smoke and mirrors budget and other liberal wish lists

Just an amazing post from the Big Government site about Connecticut’s Democratic legislature and Democratic Gov. and their pursuit to prove that big government tax sucking liberalism can actually work. I was stunned reading the post to see just how liberal the state has become. Sometimes it isn’t until you see it in print that you actually believe any state legislature could go this far.

You’ve heard or read it all before but perhaps never all in the same place. The core of Dr. Susan Berry’s post is the state’s smoke and mirrors budget and how when it comes to shared sacrifice the private sector is expected to share and sacrifice while the Gov.’s favorite constituency, labor unions, gets to share in your sacrifice.

Governor Malloy’s legislative agenda appears to be right out of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid “every day another stunning bill” play book. And much of the legislation seems, in one way or another, connected to Mr. Malloy’s close relationship with the public sector unions which worked hard to elect him.

The legislature passed the largest tax hike in the history of the state, and then secured a deal, though still “tentative,” with union leaders for $1.6 billion of the $2 billion in concessions needed to close the state’s budget gap. Many are skeptical of the “concessions,” since it appears little was really given up, from the private sector perspective, and the package relies heavily upon retirements. In addition, the governor said he would make up the difference primarily with spending cuts. However, in true Pelosi-Reid “let’s pass the bill on Christmas Eve” fashion, Mr. Malloy gave the news to lawmakers, Friday night before Memorial Day weekend, that he would, instead, make up the remaining hole in the budget with none other than projected “surplus” monies. Thus, the “surplus” is only to help the unions, who apparently couldn’t reach their $2 billion goal, not the taxpayers, who are bearing the brunt of the “shared sacrifice.”

But then don’t take my word for it, listen to the governor yourself as he speaks to union members and fellow Democrats at the Jefferson Jackson Bailey dinner.  As I tweeted on that Friday afternoon that the deal with labor was sealed, “ Malloy to unions-who is your daddy?” From her post:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDXaLcdIFhM&feature=player_embedded

She then goes on to detail how every little liberal wish is coming true in Connecticut, from  mandatory sick leave to transgender bathrooms, from the biggest tax increase in state history to granting in-state tuition to illegal aliens, from taxing out-of-state businesses (which small local websites use to generate revenue for their businesses) to early release for prisoners, even  ones with a violent past, this legislature has managed to pass legislation that would make even Berkeley blush. Make sure you read all.

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Jim Vicevich

Jim is a veteran broadcaster and conservative/libertarian blogger with more than 25 years experience in TV and radio. Jim's was the long-term host of The Jim Vicevich Show on WTIC 1080 in Hartford from 2004 through 2019. Prior to radio, Jim worked as a business and financial reporter for NBC30 - the NBC owned TV station in Hartford - and as business editor at WFSB-TV in Hartford for 14 years while earning six Emmy nominations and three Telly Awards.

13 Comments

  1. Jeff S on June 5, 2011 at 7:22 pm

    I believe that Margaret Thatcher once said the problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.? Eventually Malloy will run out of OPM, “Hope and change” CT style.



  2. Gary J on June 5, 2011 at 7:41 pm

    NH looks nicer with each week that passes. Maybe there’s some money in there for my wife to get an early retirement buy-out. I can be packed in 30 minutes.



  3. Shared Sacrifice on June 5, 2011 at 9:12 pm

    Constitution State = Extortion State



  4. Dimsdale on June 5, 2011 at 10:20 pm

    Maybe you guys will need that marijuana legislation…? 😉



  5. SeeingRed on June 6, 2011 at 10:02 am

    NC is getting closer…have the land, just need to build and bail.



  6. TomL on June 6, 2011 at 1:31 pm

    SeeingRed your on your way. Congratulations?



  7. sammy22 on June 6, 2011 at 11:12 pm

    CT needs to coax Jodi Rell out of retirement.



  8. Don Lombardo on June 7, 2011 at 9:54 am

    The Governor wants to be different than the 49 other states. I guess he wants to be – as the Obama cabal says – like China.



  9. PatRiot on June 7, 2011 at 11:26 am

    @ sammy22 – Rell is the lesser of 2 evils but hardly a game changer.? She?was outnumbered but caved when she did not have to.? They all need to be physically need to be thrown out.
    @ Don Lombardo – we?really need more details?on how CT will be different.? I do not think CT is the only state heading down the?socialist path.



  10. Dimsdale on June 7, 2011 at 12:47 pm

    Like the varicose vein remover ad on Jim’s show says, “They are progressive: they just get worse if they aren’t addressed.”
    ?
    Why is it I only hear the word “progressive” associated with politics and disease?



  11. amagi2012 on June 7, 2011 at 9:53 pm

    Ugh, our plans were set in motion before the election, but this just makes us more confident in our decision.? We’re moving to NC.? Got the land, just need to build the house.? Funny, I saw another comment that says something similar…..I’m wondering if that is my husband’s comment or if we’re gonna have some CT neighbors down there???!!!? So sad, I spent most of my growing up years here, and my family is all here.? It breaks my heart to leave, but we’ve reached the point where “stayin’ is harder than leavin'”



  12. TomL on June 8, 2011 at 7:56 am

    Now Malloy has to threaten the Unions to get them to?vote his way.? If he figures he can do the layoffs he should have done so before he raised the peoples taxes. As he said at the Jefferson Jackson Bailey dinner. Democrates and unions are intertwined.

    http://www.wfsb.com/news/28161345/detail.html



  13. sammy22 on June 8, 2011 at 5:19 pm

    What’s this flight to NC, I thought that FL was “paradise”.



Malloy jjb dinner

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