Democrats Punt their Budget, Can’t Stomach their Own Tax Increases

HARTFORD — To To the surprise of few people around the Capitol, and state for that matter, the legislature’s majority party lacked the fortitude to push through their tax-heavy budget proposal today and gave up on adopting a two-year budget by Wednesday’s end-of-session deadline.

For months the legislature’s majority Democrats sat idle as Connecticut’s budget problems grew more significant. Instead, they spent time pushing frivolous bills and others that will cost the taxpayers more than they can afford for the foreseeable future.

After grousing about the financial projections upon which Gov. M. Jodi Rell based her budget, Democrats this spring put out their proposal. Shockingly, it carried $3.3 billion in taxes.

Wow.

Since then, Democrats, still complaining about Rell’s numbers, have talked about the need for “accountability” and “honesty” when it comes to conversations about Connecticut’s financial problems.

House Republican Leader Larry Cafero called their bluff Saturday, bringing the unreasonable Democrat-authored budget to a vote on the House floor.

Finance Committee member Rep. Cameron Staples quickly told the assembly that today was no time to adopt a budget , explaining that the 151-member body should instead focus on creating a process.

Cafero’s comments moments earlier about the plight of municipal leaders, who need a state budget to build their own accurate budgets, appeared to have little, if any, impact on Staples or his colleagues.

From there, Merrill went on to explain that Democrats would convene a special session this summer to deal specifically with the “budget crisis.” She targeted a June 30 deadline.

Rell today said “Democrats have raised the white flag.”

After months filled with debates about frog dissection, hen hotels and blower ball games, Democrats are finally ready to roll up their sleeves. Or are they? Problem is, the summer session, as Merrill pointed out, will allow Democrats to consider any bills that affect the state budget.

So, if there’s a bill out there calling for the study of constructing cushy cages for constipated Kangaroos, your state legislature could spend time debating that instead of finding the spending reductions that so many Connecticut residents have called for. Don’t be surprised if we’re talking marsupials in July, folks.