REP WOOD: GOVERNOR’S BUDGET TOUGH BUT FAIR

HARTFORD- State Rep. Terrie Wood (R-141) of Darien applauded Governor M. Jodi Rell’s proposed fiscally responsible budget. 

“The Governor has done a good job of producing a balanced budget over the next two years without raising taxes and without cutting critical services that the public has come to expect and truly deserves,” said Rep Wood, ”Listening to her budget address I was struck and impressed by the innovative ideas that truly represent the Connecticut spirit. ”  

“This is an historic time, with the opportunity to reform government away from wasteful multi-layered departments to a system that delivers services more efficiently,” said Rep. Wood. 

“Mayors and First Selectmen across the state last week came to Hartford and asked for no cuts in municipal aid and instead asked for flat funding for education, transportation infrastructure and  town aid. The Governor was able to keep the promise to local governments by not cutting the state’s obligation,” added Rep. Wood.  

Included in the Governor’s proposal is the consolidation of numerous state agencies into others and the reduction of the state workforce through two means: 

• Elimination of 400 currently unfilled positions through consolidation and the elimination of 462 positions that are filled
• Elimination of a number of small agencies within the purview of the Legislature
• Merging the Office of Workforce Competitiveness into the Department of Economic and Community Development is an example of creating more efficiencies in government

The budget also calls for an Early Retirement Plan for state employees:

• Builds in $275 million in savings in each of the two years of the budget for savings
• It builds in $2 billion in anticipated federal money including hundreds of millions in Medicaid payments

Mandates are eliminated on towns and cities: 

• Incorporates the House Republican proposal, to delay implementation of the program to treat 16 and 17 year old offenders as juveniles to save an estimated $95 million for towns and cities
• Delays implementation of the plan, as House Republicans first proposed, to require special in-school suspension

The suspension of binding arbitration requirements for two years and at the end of the two-year suspension limit mandatory subjects of binding arbitration to salaries and benefits only not scheduling, the size of parking spaces, picnics and parties on state time