Governor Dannel Malloy, Photo by Chion Wolf
by Diane Orson and John Dankosky - Governor Dannel Malloy stopped by WNPR’s Where We Live to take calls from listeners and to talk about negotiations with state employee unions. His stance seemed pretty clear: Without $2 billion in concessions over the two-year budget cycle, he’s got no more good options for balancing the nearly $3.5 billion deficit.
“You want me to cut the budget more? I’ll cut the budget more. You want me to eliminate more programs I’ll do that. And in the absence of reaching a restructuring agreement we’ll lay off lots of people. I don’t want to do any of those things. Having thousands and thousands of state employees become unemployed in the midst of a downturn in the economy where we can reasonably predict that Connecticut will be one of the last states to recover from makes no sense, but if it’s the only option, it’s the only option to pursue.”
Malloy later told the capitol press corps that he’s working on, in his words, a “nasty and ugly” alternative budget in case state employees don’t agree to concessions.
im in favor of bal the budget,but the state middle and upper mgt has plenty of fat.are they included in the layoffs. i have sent three emails to the gov team i cannot get a reply. write now i am leaning toward “nasty and ugly”
Danny, If we can do it with fewer staff, I say lets cut the fat as a taxpayer!! Aren’t the state employees taxpayers too??
I DON’T understand why there is not more streamlining and reorganization in state government????……There is so much waste…in leases, buildings, electricity bills…..look at the cost the state pays monthly for RENTS!!! A DSS Building in NH is in condemned condition, employees work on top of each other which inevitably costs workers comp and more……The rent $50,000 per month……Plus thousands in electric bills, and they even reimburse the owner for taxes!!!!! This is nuts…..buy/mortgage like everyone else and SAVE HUGE in every way……
All i am hearing from the budget talks is higher taxes and take away from state employees…..It is the State’s mismanagement of retirement funds and duplicate of processes……And the most archaic technology which slows everything down to max…..waste waste waste…….see it everywhere…..Just stop in and look!!!!!! the state will save with intelligent solutions and downsizing , making all more efficient and consolidated……Not keep hiring which is what many agencies are still doing NOW!!!!!!! the easy way out is tax tax and take away from retirees and state workers…….Why not streamline…..Really streamline……’There are some great people working in the State …..And then there are so many contributing very little and sitting there looking for things to do………FIX it ….don’t just take away from everyone else…..Stop waste……Streamline, consolidate, privatize……layoff if you have to ….don’t drain the current few staff who are also middle class tax payers……Everyone wants out of connecticut these days……Waste and expense…..This is not how we should be living……I am disappointed and am sorry i did not vote for Foley ….I think he was smart and had consolidation and streamlining of government as priority……There are still elected officials or managers/administrators getting outrageous salaries for what??…..For micromanaging lower level managers????……As administrators , they should have proposed solutions/reorganization etc…They should have fixed their perspective agencies total incompetent processes and administrate new!! Not just waste figure head bossing lower levels managers and staff only , or hiding in their field offices, raping the state with outrageous unnecessary salaries…..If they have not risen above the “power and delusions of grandeur” in being appointed for the wrong reasons……Then GOOD BYE…..replace and streamline!! Be brave …make changes….don’t just bully the measly lower level workers struggling to survive in connecticut and at their multiple jobs while others around them are merely a waste……