Governor Rell and state lawmakers will be under increasing pressure to agree on a biennial state budget in the days ahead. At issue is whether Rell will live up to her promise to deliver more education funds to municipalities -- a pledge made at the start of the 2007 session that Rell abruptly withdrew in favor of a status quo that relies on the current state budget surplus with less money to pay for the schools. At the same time Democratic leaders need to draw a line in the sand on their package to put progressivity into the state income tax and deliver significant property tax relief.
Gone is the Rell proposal for education that a Hartford Courant editorial lauded on Feb. 8th:
While Rell continues to send mixed signals to lawmakers, the latest tact of her negotiators (according to sources close to the talks) has been to propose much less in the way of educational cost sharing (ECS) funds than her own advisory group recommended. It seems as if Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero has jumped into the driver's seat to thwart any chances for a compromise that progressive Democrats could live with.
One Rell scenario budget, for example, would give New Britain $4 million for educational costs. That's considerably less than $8 million the Governor had on the table previously and a far cry from the $10 million Democratic lawmakers want in the budget for the year that begins July 1.
The $8 million amount is what the New Britain City Council used last Thursday when they reluctantly voted for a budget with a .48 decrease in the property tax rate. Anything less will spell more trouble for the city's finances. The only thing certain was that the Mayor and Council would be back soon to revise spending if state aid increases or changes in a final state budget agreement.
Rell's flip flops on education aid and the state's tax structure came late on the legislative calender and are among the biggest factors why the June 6th legislative session ended without a budget deal.
A major disappointment on the state aid issue is the stance of Mayor Tim Stewart, whose $211 million budget received a tentative nod from the Common Council last Thursday. State Rep. Tim O'Brien (D-24) urged Stewart to contact the Governor so that the state budget would get closer to the $10 million in state aid sought by Democrats. Stewart, never at a loss to advocate for his own self interests, is keeping his head in the sand. When asked if he would use his position as a Republican office holder to contact the Republican Governor to advocate for a higher level of local aid, Stewart "indicated he would not be calling Rell," according to The New Britain Herald.
With the Governor and Legislature going into overtime, there is still time to salvage something positive from the work of New Britain's legislators in a session that failed to move forward on such issues as lowering electric rates and universal health care. The state budget needs to give New Britain its fair share and to provide badly needed funds for school priorities.
New Britain residents should do what Mayor Stewart won't do by contacting the Governor and legislative leaders.
Contact the Governor governor.rell@ct.gov 566-4840
Contact the House Speaker Jim.Amann@cgaov.ct.gov 240-8585
Contact the Senate President Williams@senatedems.ct.gov 240-8600
Gone is the Rell proposal for education that a Hartford Courant editorial lauded on Feb. 8th:
An unprecedented $3.4 billion investment in education over the next five years, from the nursery to the halls of ivy, is the centerpiece of what she termed a budget for generations. Expansion of preschool education, revamping of the school funding formula so that all towns will get more money, greater school choice, full funding of special education grants and financial aid for an additional 14,000 college students are among the ambitious budget highlights. After five years, the state and local shares of education costs would be 50-50, the original aim that has never been achieved.
While Rell continues to send mixed signals to lawmakers, the latest tact of her negotiators (according to sources close to the talks) has been to propose much less in the way of educational cost sharing (ECS) funds than her own advisory group recommended. It seems as if Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero has jumped into the driver's seat to thwart any chances for a compromise that progressive Democrats could live with.
One Rell scenario budget, for example, would give New Britain $4 million for educational costs. That's considerably less than $8 million the Governor had on the table previously and a far cry from the $10 million Democratic lawmakers want in the budget for the year that begins July 1.
The $8 million amount is what the New Britain City Council used last Thursday when they reluctantly voted for a budget with a .48 decrease in the property tax rate. Anything less will spell more trouble for the city's finances. The only thing certain was that the Mayor and Council would be back soon to revise spending if state aid increases or changes in a final state budget agreement.
Rell's flip flops on education aid and the state's tax structure came late on the legislative calender and are among the biggest factors why the June 6th legislative session ended without a budget deal.
A major disappointment on the state aid issue is the stance of Mayor Tim Stewart, whose $211 million budget received a tentative nod from the Common Council last Thursday. State Rep. Tim O'Brien (D-24) urged Stewart to contact the Governor so that the state budget would get closer to the $10 million in state aid sought by Democrats. Stewart, never at a loss to advocate for his own self interests, is keeping his head in the sand. When asked if he would use his position as a Republican office holder to contact the Republican Governor to advocate for a higher level of local aid, Stewart "indicated he would not be calling Rell," according to The New Britain Herald.
With the Governor and Legislature going into overtime, there is still time to salvage something positive from the work of New Britain's legislators in a session that failed to move forward on such issues as lowering electric rates and universal health care. The state budget needs to give New Britain its fair share and to provide badly needed funds for school priorities.
New Britain residents should do what Mayor Stewart won't do by contacting the Governor and legislative leaders.
Contact the Governor governor.rell@ct.gov 566-4840
Contact the House Speaker Jim.Amann@cgaov.ct.gov 240-8585
Contact the Senate President Williams@senatedems.ct.gov 240-8600
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