Union ‘Concession’ Plan Full of Holes,
Mythical Savings Used to Balance Budget
A staged press briefing that took place today at Rentschler Field and was yet another attempt to sell the phony concession package to skeptical audiences. Gov. Malloy counted on at least $2 billion in savings and union concessions as the final pieces to balance the budget he introduced in February.
As details of the deal emerged since it was hastily announced a week ago, it has become clear that the numbers do not add up, Republicans said. "And there is little, if any, of the 'shared sacrifice' that the governor has called for,'' Cafero said.
Details of the package include:
* A four-year no lay-off provision for the entire state workforce
* 10.3 percent salary increase over five years
* A five year extension of the much criticized health care and pension plan
* No furlough days costing taxpayers $42 million a year
* No changes in taxpayer funded union steward positions which cost a total of $93 million a year
* No reduction health care benefits for state workers
* No increase in pension contributions or health care premiums
Gov. Malloy insisted his budget would contain no gimmicks and real savings. No gimmicks? The questionable savings amount to an estimated $566 million or nearly one third of the $1.6 billion
Malloy claims in savings.
Consider these.
* $205 million in anticipated savings from requiring state workers to become healthier overnight through annual check-ups and other "Value Added'' Health care components
* $180 million in savings to come from state employee suggestion boxes to be placed through state government
* $90 million through greater technology advancements
* $75 million in "Health Cost Containment Initiatives''
* $13.5 million relating to prescription drugs going "off patent''
* $3 million savings from voluntary obesity and tobacco programs.
Republicans said the four-year no lay-off provision and the five-year pension and health care extension will prevent many short and long-term savings.
Connecticut is now officially a "Dead Zone," following the ways of great Progressive Liberal strongholds such as Detroit.
ReplyDeleteBut really, is it not the definintion of stupidity to repeat the same action over and over and expect a different outcome?
CT Voters overwhelmingly are Democrat. Now that is either due to sheer stupidity of man or absolute feebleness of the Republican Party. I think both. After all, all over the blogs and newspapers in CT people are complaining about Malloy and the tax increases, as if this clown was planning anything different.
For the Republican's part. They ran a weak candidate who appeared tired and old. No one took it to the Dems in an articulate manner. Even here, this poster talks about "shared sacrifice." That in itself is a bunch of baloney. Sacrifice what? For what? The Taxpayers are not getting anything for the money that is being bled from them as they shoulder all of the burden and all of the sacrifice. The underclass is not paying taxes and getting the benefits. The illegals are being welcomed with open arms and expensed to the Taxpayer. So sharing the burden is a myth, and yet not one Republican is taking that message right to Malloy and his Looney Tunes Dummycrats. That is the intellectual weakness of the Republican Party. They play the game with rules the Dummycrats have set. In that case they will always lose. Time to get out of this black hole of a state and head south, where Conservatives rule and politicians are required to listen to the People.