Gov. M. Jodi Rell Unveils Budget Plans

"We are Connecticut" stated Gov. M. Jodi Rell as she laid out her Budget plans today. She spoke of "pain and sacrifice," and "long overdue trimming." I don't normally post political items, but I was able to listen to the broadcast this afternoon. So here goes. She talked of families getting by on a lot less, feeling the pinch as it were, and how they were going to have to do the same.

Some of the highlights include:

• No cuts to education aid. No cuts to any state grant program.
• The elimination of 10 state agencies. Therefore eliminating duplications along the way.
  
• The elimination of 70 boards and commissions that have associated staffing, mileage reimbursement and other expenses. "We're reducing the bloat of bureaucracy and making do with less," said Rell.
• The budget cuts the fleet of state cars by 20 percent. If an employee doesn't really need one, he or she won't have one. Families are making do with less - so can we.
• Fewer laws. There are 14,000 pages of state laws in existence. The Governor proposes taking 130 unnecessary laws off the books. "We not only need a leaner government but a less intrusive one as well."
• Canceling state bond authorizations of hundreds of mostly earmark projects, totaling almost $400 million.
• A one year a hold on construction at UConn and state colleges to save debt costs.
• Municipalities can and should cut costs by sharing - sharing equipment, facilities, schools, personnel and more.
• And a new $10 million grant will be available to purchase shared equipment - snow plows, dump trucks, garbage trucks.
• Expansion of food assistance and elderly nutrition programs.
• Doing more to "green up" the state by expanding the bottle bill law to include non-carbonated beverages like water.
  

Those are just a few of the items covered by Governor Rell in the speech. Read the full text of the speech here:
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/ci_11626064

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For more Budget detail visit:
http://www.ct.gov/opm/cwp/view.asp?a=2958&Q=432642&PM=1