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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tom Clarke who wrote (433124)	6/26/2011 7:45:31 AM
From: Tom Clarke	8 Recommendations Respond to of 794157

Free Fall Chris Healy SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 2011 The liberals are now engaged in political cannibalism. The public sector unions, who have given a giant raspberry to the sweetest of contract deals, have humiliated the Democrats – Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, House Speaker Chris Donovan, D-Meriden, Senate President Pro Tempore Don Williams, D-Brooklyn and even State Sen. Edith Prague, D-Columbia. The “no one gets fired and everyone goes to the prom state employee contract “ which put off raises for two years with minimal inconvenience on benefits and salaries to 50,000 plus workers is now a non-deal. These union people have either big stones or rocks in their heads. Their actions have caused a delightful meltdown at state Capitol. Everyone but the Republicans is white-faced hornet mad. And it is going to get worse because no one really has a plan or the guts to carry one out. Gov. Malloy, who had hoped to show the Obama administration and liberal opinion leaders that you can close a budget gap if you are willing to pass record taxes and put off expenditures, is now faced with putting 7,500 state workers on the street. Malloy is many things, but if you diss him – he will cut your heart out. With the unions acting like ungrateful teenagers who didn’t get to borrow the car Saturday night, Malloy can now act like the father figure by putting them on curfew and cutting their allowance. It gives Malloy a second chance to look reasonable and tough at the same time. And he has a public who were resigned to this sell out by the Democrats, now even more angry with their benefactors. The question is – will he really lower the boom? And if he does, Malloy will open up another new front – with cities and towns that will take a haircut from cuts to local municipal aid. That aid includes money for local education where 80 percent of those costs are teacher’s salaries – union teacher’s salaries. Malloy was elected by voters in the big cities and with teacher union support throughout the state. They will not be happy. Even with a private sector unemployment rate of 9.1 percent, commercial and residential real estate in the tank and businesses collapsing or leaving for more tax friendly states, the bureaucrats saw little downside in telling the taxpayers – “sorry, not good enough.” Prague, the doyenne of the labor movement and its most reliable servant in the upper chamber, said unions members should “have their heads examined” for turning down the proposal while Democrat Governors in other states have been exacting significant tribute from their brothers and sisters. Now things are going to get interesting. Malloy has called the Legislature back into Special Session next week to take action. He wants his fellow Democrats to give him the authority – almost a line-item veto power - to make unilateral cuts to close the new $1.6 billion hole that has been created by the union vote. Democrats and legislators are often loath to give up any power, especially over the purse, but Donovan has been cautious in his response. The Speaker has the most to lose during Round 2 of the Great Budget Battle of 2011. He has been eyeing the exits for months now while positioning himself as the leading candidate to succeed U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, D-CT. When he wasn’t funding every non-profit program in the 5th Congressional District, he was shaking down lobbyists for Congressional contributions. Donovan found the response less than enthusiastic, since business had its worst legislative session since the early 1990’s. But Donovan has to make a calculation. Does he side with Malloy who has a 38 percent approval rating which might get worse or does he “stick with the union”, as the song goes? But Donovan has another problem if he rolls over on his back like a turtle. His rank and file members who voted for the largest tax increase in Connecticut history are not pleased that they will be forced to vote on either significant layoffs, budget cuts or more taxes. Williams also has problems. He doesn’t have much support from his own caucus and barely got the budget approved the last time. With Tea Party activists and others more organized and tasting blood, it won’t be hard to work on a few stray State Senators to push the red button. Of course, Democrats will reserve the right to fudge the numbers some more, hike revenue estimates and simply ignore the reality of the market. But Wall Street will not be amused if the accounting of Malloy-Donovan-Williams leads to anything but a in spending to match any new hike in taxes. All of this could have been avoided had Malloy done what Governors Cuomo, Christie and Walker accomplished in their states. While each enjoys public support and uniform agreement to reform the relationship between management and workers, Malloy employs a doppelganger of deferred compensation and job security. He based his budget on phony numbers and rosy projections and did little to address the long-term problems of benefits and pensions. Malloy did inflict a little pain in the out years, but not what was needed. Still, to Connecticut’s public sector unions, it’s never quite enough. Malloy could have made this a bipartisan effort from the get-go, offering to bring Republican Tom Foley in to lead an effort at regulation reform and cutting red tape for business. Malloy could have taken some of the ideas provided by House Republican Leader Larry Cafero, R-Norwalk and Senate GOP Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield. Had Foley, Cafero or McKinney refused, Malloy could say he tried and if they accepted, would have effectively co-opted them for whatever plan emerged. But now, this mess is all on the Democrats – all of it. The unions have finally been revealed for what they are – a very comfortable and entitled class – no better than the capitalists and robber barons of the late 19th century. makebluered.blogspot.com

To: Tom Clarke who wrote (433124)	6/26/2011 8:14:43 AM
From: quehubo	2 Recommendations Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 794157

All these union workers, especially the government ones, they all think they are untouchable and entitled. They appear totally disconnected from the world the non government worker taxpayer struggles through every day. Most people have a real hard time appreciating what they have until after they lose it. People think the government is polarized , divided, ineffective at governing. I think this is a symptom of the one purpose many have, making sure they get as big a piece of a shrinking pie as possible. On one hand you have the republicans saying no need to increase taxes, just reduce spending, On the other hand you have the liberals saying only the wealthy super rich will be taxed more and all your entitlement dreams will be true. In the middle you have 90% of the country who dont want any decrease in future entitlements and think someone else has to pay the higher taxes. We need some real leadership in this country, not a divider.