House Democrats Touting Hollow Success in Hartford

HARTFORD — With reverberations from a congratulatory high-five still fresh in the chamber, House Democrats are patting themselves on the back again — this time through a draft release of their 76-page end of session report.

Yes, that’s right: 76 pages. What did they do, you ask? If you can stomach the excessive back-slapping (”historic challenges, historic solutions”) the answer becomes right away: not much, other than find new ways to spend our money when we can least afford it.

Consider the state’s budget problems. Over the next two-year budget cycle Connecticut faces a shortfall upward of $8 billion. Did the House Democrats fix that problem by the end of the 2009 legislative session? Nope. So, what was that exuberant gavel smack and high-five all about? The smiles, the applause? All good questions. We found no reason to celebrate.

As you struggled to pay your bills, and as thousands of Connecticut residents lost their jobs, our Democrat-led legislature debated frog dissection and death penalty abolishment–something the majority of Connecticut residents are against.

Democrats sing a tired political ditty in their report, again shifting blame from their lack of leadership to Gov. M. Jodi Rell. But as they tour the state and point fingers at Rell’s budget ideas, many residents are asking this question: What have Democrats done to solve Connecticut’s budget problems?

Earlier this year, they proposed taxing everything from corporate profits to bicycle helmets. The property tax credit used by so many middle-income families? Hasta la vista, baby. In the end, they were unwilling, and unable, to push their controversial plan through the legislature.

Try to find those dirty details in the report.

Instead, they unfairly criticize the Rell’s cost-cutting efforts. And as Democrats write about their commitment to “voting on a fair, honest, responsible, and balanced budget” they curiously slam the governor for cuts that would close DMV offices even though they’ve proposed making the same move.

Good thing it’s only a draft.