Saturday, July 08, 2017

July 8, 2017 and No Connecticut Budget

It is now July 8, 2017 and there is no new Connecticut budget.  Nor does it look like there will be one either even after July 18 the day after the state unions voted on their supposed concession package.  For we do not know whether or not the "concessions package" will be agreed upon by the Connecticut state labor unions.  We know the State Police union refuses to vote upon changes in their wage agreement in the form of a three year wage freeze they have stated they will only vote on benefit concessions.
The budget proposal that the Connecticut Democrat Party is force-feeding on Connecticut Taxpayers includes a 6.99% sales tax.  You wonder why it is not 7%?  Democrat Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz will not agree to 7% because then Connecticut would just as high as some other states, 6.99% qualifying as being lower than 7%. Connecticut then would rank below states like New Jersey and Rhode Island that charge 7%.  However, Democrat Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz wants to allow cities and towns to charge a 1 percent sales tax on food and drinks at bars, restaurants and other outlets for local revenue.  Thus the sales tax would be 7.99% with this added 1% local tax and be higher than New Jersey and Rhode Island.
My question is reviewing all of the concessions and yet even higher taxes is how is this closing the state budget deficit because the combined supposed savings and increases in tax revenue does not match the budget deficit?  And why wasn't spending cut?  And why wasn't there any discussion in cutting the excessively high salaries, benefits and pensions for state management workers?   
And why can't the balanced budget that was presented by the Republicans that did not enact any new taxes be brought up for a vote in either the House or Senate?
Thus another Connecticut Democrat Party budget that offers higher spending and higher taxes.   Nothing new here.  Democrat Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz in his position as a state union employee places the self-interests of the union over the financial needs of the state.  Nothing new here either.  There was no bipartisanship in this budget.  What the Connecticut Democrat Party dictates to Connecticut Taxpayers is what we get.   
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Next Saturday will be July 15 and there will be no new Connecticut budget. Nobody really cares about it in Hartford any more anyways. 

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