Governor Malloy is scheduled to brief five Connecticut mayors today (Friday) including Mayor Bill Finch to explain what this all means. From Governor Malloy:
GOV. MALLOY ISSUES A CALL OF SPECIAL SESSION FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 30
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today issued a Call of Special Session for Thursday, June 30 at 10 a.m. Governor Malloy issued the call to expand his rescission authority and enact legislation to close the budget deficit for the biennium ending June 30, 2013.
“It was always my hope that the SEBAC Agreement would be ratified and we could move forward with the process of getting our state’s fiscal house in order and creating new jobs,” said Governor Malloy. “But that looks increasingly unlikely. Calling both chambers into session next week is necessary to close the budget deficit that we will be facing. I am loathe to make the decisions facing us at this juncture–including layoffs, programmatic and municipal aid cuts–but I am left with no choice. Working with the legislature, we will have a balanced budget and one that, while making painful cuts and difficult decisions, will be balanced honestly without tricks or gimmicks.”
Governor Malloy has made clear that all options are on the table to close the budget deficit, except additional tax increases and the use of “surplus” funds.
Cuts to municipal aid are on the table. Where’s plan B, Mayor Finch? What will you do if the state cuts a few million out of the budget? You guaranteed no layoffs to 700 AFSCME workers. If you come after the other unions they will work against you in full force. What are you gonna do, Mr. Finch, what are you gonna do? Looks like your plan to buy the union vote is backfiring on you.
The City Council has not approved the AFSCME contract. Finch will get the council to reject it and then claim it’s not his fault.
Just to clarify my identify a little bit. I am clearly a RICAN in every sense of the word–an AmerRICAN.
*** I’m afraid the unions will end up holding the layoffs bag, no? *** Everyone must feel the pain; no pain, no gain. ***
Malloy has the balls to face these problems head on. Unlike Finch he is willing to face these financial nightmares with his eyes wide open. His legacy is being formed now. He will be the most respected or the most hated governor in the history of Connecticut.
He will be the most respected AND the most hated governor in the history of this state. It’s all about jobs. Without payroll tax income we will all suffer tremendously. Malloy plans to lay off 3500 to 5000 state employees. Do the math. Where will we recover the income lost from their individual payroll tax? The we must add entitlements to most of these people in the form of unemployment compensation, maybe even severance packages, certainly for some … public assistance. Dreadful.
Unions stink.
The economic dark ages are about to befall the State and city. Cuts to medicaid and food stamps will occur. Employees of those unions that rejected the givebacks will suffer the most. The city will turn into a Newark, crime-wise as well as blight. Every politician will be pointing the finger at their opposite part. The saddest of all will be the fact that the vast majority of the incumbents will be re-elected because of the party they belong to. This occurred the election cycle and will happen again. Until this fact changes the people have to blame themselves for this economic disaster.