As the state swims in multi-billion dollar surpluses, Board of Education members and school advocates Tuesday night gathered at Housatonic Community College to urge the tearing down of fiscal guardrails that limit priority spending on schools, housing, healthcare and childcare. See video above from the Bridgeport Strong Facebook page.
Big city mayors from Connecticut rallied the other day to call on state leaders to take off the fiscal handcuffs in support of education spending.
House Speaker Matt Ritter favors fiscal guardrail adjustments while Governor Ned Lamont postures resistance on behalf of paying down pension debt and provide insurance against the deficits posted a decade ago.
Others declare there’s plenty of dough to provide additional funding for schools while maintaining a fiscal safety net.
A push is underway by education advocates in the legislative session to press state lawmakers to take action.
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Excellent agenda and great attendance for the “guardrails” meeting. Colena Sesanker provided a factual and interesting talk about State financing.
Like the previous evening, when I attended the City of Bridgeport Budget and Appropriation CC committee problems arise when folks do not know what was purchased from past taxes and bond funding for previous time periods, or when someone, inappropriately or mistakenly, per Charter, process, or norms decides on what and how, without people at the table who represent the people, or are actually the people who pay and who benefit. Why such governance malpractice? When will you become more fully informed and raise your voice over one or more issues, or the current faulty process that moves on without obvious and visible notice and no official oversight or emergency switches? What is the money buying over time periods-trends? What are outcomes to current and future generations? Time will tell.