Spring Break
Panic and threats won't help get a fair state budget passed
Our Opinion
Issue date: 3/17/09 Section: Commentary
We are all sick and tired of hearing about the budget issues. They are not going away any time soon - everyone is well aware of that. However, at the rate Connecticut's government is going, the state's deficit is never going to be fixed, because Gov. M. Jodi Rell and the Democrats cannot not stop pointing fingers at each other for long enough to make a decision.
The most recent state budget argument is about a decision to find $220 million to help fill the $1.2 billion the government is trying to find to cut the total $1.35 billion. The decision was made by the General Assembly to transfer money from accounts that are not part of the state's general fund. This is basically another desperate plan to dig up miscellaneous funds.
After Rell's search for buried treasure, only $188 million was found. She claimed that, to find more money, she would be forced to cut funding for stem-cell research and the historic preservation society, both of which are very important to the state's overall income and livelihood. UConn's stem-cell research especially has already made great leaps in the scientific world to prove its worth.
Now the Democrats are quite angry at the governor because she is "flat out wrong," as House Speaker Christopher Donovan told the Hartford Courant. The Democrats plan to find the funds themselves, although Rell says they will be taking too much from the rainy day fund. We can only wonder where they are going to find the money since there is little to spare all around.
There was talk of closing one of the Connecticut State Universities (Eastern, Western, Southern and Central) as a drastic way to fix the budget. These colleges are important for the students of Connecticut, providing them with a good and affordable education. Many students would suffer if one were closed. Cities are also riled up in defense of their funding since they have already lost many public resources. Rell has said that a CSU will not be closed if she can help it, and that the cities still have their municipal funds. But now we need more information and some actual plans.
All of these back-and-forth demands for money are not doing the state any good. Solid decisions need to be made and policies must be quickly put into effect. Rell and other officials have been too afraid to make any definitive statements because the budget could change and prove them wrong, making them look misinformed and clueless. So instead, they report as little as possible to the public and we are all left in the dark. The oblivious public is then left to panic when city municipal funds are threatened and colleges are rumored to be on the chopping block.
Social panic and ignorance will not help the budget; only strong government leaders capable of compromise and decision-making will help the state and its citizens stay well informed and cautious of the deficit.
The most recent state budget argument is about a decision to find $220 million to help fill the $1.2 billion the government is trying to find to cut the total $1.35 billion. The decision was made by the General Assembly to transfer money from accounts that are not part of the state's general fund. This is basically another desperate plan to dig up miscellaneous funds.
After Rell's search for buried treasure, only $188 million was found. She claimed that, to find more money, she would be forced to cut funding for stem-cell research and the historic preservation society, both of which are very important to the state's overall income and livelihood. UConn's stem-cell research especially has already made great leaps in the scientific world to prove its worth.
Now the Democrats are quite angry at the governor because she is "flat out wrong," as House Speaker Christopher Donovan told the Hartford Courant. The Democrats plan to find the funds themselves, although Rell says they will be taking too much from the rainy day fund. We can only wonder where they are going to find the money since there is little to spare all around.
There was talk of closing one of the Connecticut State Universities (Eastern, Western, Southern and Central) as a drastic way to fix the budget. These colleges are important for the students of Connecticut, providing them with a good and affordable education. Many students would suffer if one were closed. Cities are also riled up in defense of their funding since they have already lost many public resources. Rell has said that a CSU will not be closed if she can help it, and that the cities still have their municipal funds. But now we need more information and some actual plans.
All of these back-and-forth demands for money are not doing the state any good. Solid decisions need to be made and policies must be quickly put into effect. Rell and other officials have been too afraid to make any definitive statements because the budget could change and prove them wrong, making them look misinformed and clueless. So instead, they report as little as possible to the public and we are all left in the dark. The oblivious public is then left to panic when city municipal funds are threatened and colleges are rumored to be on the chopping block.
Social panic and ignorance will not help the budget; only strong government leaders capable of compromise and decision-making will help the state and its citizens stay well informed and cautious of the deficit.
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