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Governor, Dems Trade Blame for Budget Delays
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With less than two weeks to go in the fiscal year, the governor and Democratic leaders continue to fault each other for delaying the budget process.

Democratic legislative leaders have held a series of press events across the state to criticize the governor's proposed cuts to everything from libraries and mass transit to prison reentry programs and technical schools.

Governor Rell says she is waiting for lawmakers to come back to budget talks. She asked them earlier this month to tell her which of her cuts they cannot accept, and she hasn't gotten an answer.

"By you know, doing their road show, they're saying we can't cut this, and we can't that, and we can't here, and we can't cut there. You've told me what you can't tell cut publicly. But tell me what you want to do in a budget."

She says they're not mentioning the tax increases it will take the preserve these programs. Rell says she is willing to talk about the revenue side once they agree on spending cuts. But until she gets their list, she's told her staff to suspend budget negotiations.

"I thought the message was very clear. I thought they understood exactly what I was saying, which was I need to know from you, and then we'll talk about where we need to go from there."

House Speaker Chris Donovan says that sounds good, but it is not feasible.

"It's not as easy to say just give me the deal breakers. There's a number of items that are of concern."

He says it's time to reframe the conversation - to talk about spending and tax increases simultaneously.

The General Assembly will be in session Friday, but Democratic leaders don't expect to release a new budget proposal until early next week. Donovan declined to describe their latest tax package, but he said he is willing to meet with the governor anytime.

The governor's office has prepared contingency plans if there's no budget agreement by July 1.



Rell's Spending

If Rell had any undertstanding of economics and didn't waste money for most of her term we wouldn't need to cut back so much now. Two years ago she was trying to open 2 new prisons... now she's trying to close 2.  Has crime really been reduced to the point where we need 4 fewer prisons than we did 4 years ago?  Of course not... she wasted money putting everyone she could in prisons.  Now money is being cut on prisoner reform programs... so we will continue to have one of the highest percentages of our population in the world.  No longer is the state interested in helping the mentally disabled... now we are going to be locking them up to save money?  That sounds like a pretty dumb idea.  If the state helps them to live with thier families... that has to be cheaper than the state footing the whole bill.

In such a short time we went from having a large surplus to a large deficit.  Clearly someone was not spending money well.

What is going to happen with things like that swimming pool she "had to" buy for a school because it was a campaign promise.  Pure waste.  This woman has no clue how to run the state.  I can't say I agree with the Democrat's budget either but at this point they can't be any worse.