Saturday, January 16, 2021

Connecticut’s Constant Budget Mess

 

Connecticut’s budget year is upon us.  Connecticut Taxpayers are used to the usual rhetoric spewed by Ned Lamont, his consulting groups, his hedge fund and the Democrat controlled state legislature.  The rhetoric is new and higher taxes, new and or higher “user” fees, cuts to programs that impact people most in need such those with disabilities and the elderly, and once again for “tolls”.  If one goes back and looks at the last thirty years of Connecticut’s budgets one will see a massive increase in state spending, a massive amount of programs placed “off budget” to hide them,  massive increases in taxes, new taxes, and new and higher user fees.  2021 starts the same as it has since 1991.  Connecticut is running a massive budget deficit this year anywhere from $2 to $3 billion dollars and we will probably see new and or higher taxes and tolls as being the only way to solve this deficit.  Sound familiar?  It should because it is what Connecticut Taxpayers have heard for the past thirty years from their government.  These "new" taxes were going to solve all the revenue problems of the state from the fairness of a state income tax, to a secret gross earning tax on gasoline, to a $250 tax to file a piece of paper to the Secretary of State’s office to state that you are still in business, to a tax on every can of paint you buy, a tax of every plastic bag you use for your groceries, a tax to be placed in a supposed fund to pay for people for family leave in 2022, a tax on your car registration to get into state parks whether you use them or not, etc.  This list of taxes and user fees is endless in Connecticut and to me is the result of out of control state spending that has shown little if any positive economic results for either businesses or citizens of the state while at the same time running up an insurmountable $150 billion dollars in short and long term debt along with unfunded liabilities.  Why is this lost on our elected officials?
Connecticut’s elected officials need to get a handle on spending.  The amount of money that is wasted on a state level is enormous.  I would love to hear a brave state legislator from either party introduce a bill for a full forensic audit of all of the state’s assets, liabilities and spending.  I would enjoy bills introduced in the State House and Senate to decrease state spending on political patronage jobs, programs that have failed the state economically and an across the board cut in all state agencies budgets.  Start taking action on the economic crisis that this state has had to live through since 1991.  Start respecting Connecticut Taxpayers and not use them as their personal bank accounts to gain wealth and power.  Start demanding economic efficiencies from each state agency to cut spending.  Force any state agency that must deal with the public to become consumer friendly and courteous to the Connecticut Taxpayers they are dealing with.  
Ned Lamont, his consulting groups, his hedge fund and the Democrat controlled state legislature should admit once and for all that the state has serious economic issues and a state spending problem.  Instead, 
Connecticut Taxpayers must deal with and live with a constant budget mess.  Thirty years of this is enough-don’t you think?

No comments: