Back at It: More State Budget Cuts
By MONICA BUCHANAN
Updated 6:39 AM EST, Fri, Nov 6, 2009
In an already tough budget year, Gov. M. Jodi Rell used her power to make $34 million in cuts from the state budget that do not need legislative approval.
The cuts are in hundreds of categories and range from as little as $5 to several million dollars.
The Department of Children and Families' budget will be cut by $8.5 million. The Department of Environmental Protection should expect to lose $1.2 million. Almost a million dollars is being taken from the education budget. Fire training schools across the state will see a $64,000 cut. Places including the Ivoryton Playhouse, the Connecticut Science Center and the New Haven Festival of Arts and Ideas are also losing money.
Democrats and Republicans might not agree on much, but they do agree that Connecticut is in financial trouble.
“We are in a situation that is unprecedented. Revenues were falling about $400 million a month, so is this as bad as that? No. Have we turned the corner? No,” said Rep. John Geragosian, Appropriations Committee co-chair.
The governor isn’t happy about the latest shortfall and said the state’s finances need help, especially when you consider sales and income tax collections are down, as well as casino revenue.
“All of those have contributed to a decline in the revenue to the state. We have to address it,” Rell said.
Meanwhile, some Democrats feel Wall Street holds the answer to the state’s future fortunes.
“The growth in the stock market indicates revenues will start to grow, I believe, toward the end of this fiscal year into next year,” Geragosian said.
First Published: Nov 5, 2009 11:27 PM EST
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