Chris Powell: Conn. GOP gets serious, Democrats wallow in trivia

The Connecticut Capitol, in nearly bankrupt Hartford.

While this year's regular session of the  Connecticut General Assembly has little to show for itself but more gambling -- another casino and more off-track betting -- it was positive in one respect: the recognition by Gov. Dannel Malloy and the unusually large Republican minority that structural changes in spending policies are necessary to save the Nutmeg State.

The governor has extracted substantial if inadequate concessions from the state employee unions, but he proposed to close the budget deficit by shifting to municipalities $400 million in teacher pension costs. Instead he might have proposed reducing teacher pension benefits, since those benefits, unlike state employee pension benefits, are set by state law rather than union contract. But having dozens if not hundreds of members and their dependents in every town, the teacher unions are far more influential than even the state employee unions, so no one dares to economize there.

The Republicans united behind a budget proposal that avoided tax increases by cutting more from state employee compensation. They essentially proposed to remove salaries and benefits from collective bargaining for the time being. Thus the Republicans realized at last that they gain nothing by being nice to the state employee unions. Since the Democrats are the party of those unions and retain narrow majorities in both houses of the legislature, this Republican effort to restore democratic control of public expense will have no chance of passing until Republican majorities are elected. But standing for something important may distinguish the Republicans favorably in next year's election.

The legislature failed to produce a budget for two reasons.

First, the Democrats could not hold their majority together. Most Democratic legislators are liberals and will always prefer raising taxes. But enough Democrats either agree with the governor that raising taxes now would hurt the state more than it would help or they fear for their re-election if taxes are raised again, since the public is realizing that living conditions have only worsened as taxes have been raised during the Malloy administration.

Second, the Republicans seem to have decided that any compromise with the Democrats on the budget will have to raise taxes and spending somewhat and that sharing responsibility for that isn't worthwhile politically, especially since, in the forthcoming special session of the legislature, the Democrats probably will compromise among themselves to reach such an outcome anyway. The Republicans may figure that the Democrats might as well own the whole thing and be obliged to defend it in the election next year, when the public will be looking for change.

Both parties bear responsibility for the expansion of gambling, policy that is disgraceful, contrary to Democratic pretenses of protecting the poor and opposing concentration of wealth and Republican pretenses of advocating responsible living. But at least the Republicans aren't celebrating the legislative session as the Democrats are.

Democratic state headquarters this week issued a statement lauding the legislature for banning therapy aimed at trying to convert homosexuals into heterosexuals, though there was no evidence of its use in Connecticut; for increasing penalties for hate crimes, as if they were not already seriously punishable; for reducing bail for minor offenses, as if this affects many people; and for approving a state constitutional amendment for a transportation fund “lockbox,” as if money still won't be fungible and government won't always find a way to divert it.

 Failing to produce a budget, the legislative session was all trivia.

 Chris Powell is managing editor of the Journal Inquirer, in Manchester, Conn.
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