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Malloy dismisses deficit projections, won’t ask for more concessions

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HARTFORD, Conn. – Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said Friday he will not seek concessions from state employees next year if he’s re-elected and called projections the state will be facing a $1.278 billion budget deficit next year “ridiculous.”

“A deal is a deal. We’ve made a deal and we’re going to honor that deal,” Malloy said of the 2011 State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition concession labor deal his administration negotiated with state employee unions soon after taking office.

In 2011, state workers agreed to a two-year salary freeze and other concessions in exchange for four years of protection from layoffs.

Malloy said the deal, which was criticized for relying heavily upon difficult-to-quantify savings, has been undervalued.

See the complete story at CT News Junkie.

 

Comments

14 responses to “Malloy dismisses deficit projections, won’t ask for more concessions”

  1. piberman

    No Governor in memory has ever called estimates of the highly respected non-partisan Legislative Budget Office (LBO) “rediculous”. CT Democrats must be proud of their Governor. All careful budget analysts maintain that the Govetnor’s claims about “savings” from his “public union deal” are largely fictitious. That’s why neither the LBO or anyone can readily demonstrate the claimed “savings”.

    Gov Malloy and CT Democrat legislators are now giving us the “Disneyland” version of their state budget. After 4 years the deficit inherited from a Democratic controlled legislature and Republican Governor has only been reduced by half. What a wonderful 4 years lie ahead with an expected recession under Democrat leadership. Whooppee. Hold on to your hats.

    When finance is involved CT Democrats are a “class act” !

  2. M. Murray’s

    What? The governor forced concessions on the unions and you are not happy? Thought you would be thrilled about that one.

  3. John Hamlin

    This is a problem that both political parties have created and this governor has exacerbated. Yes, he inherited a mess, but so have other governors that have brought a measure of fiscal sanity to their states — and governors from both political parties (Jerry Brown, Scott Walker, Andrew Cuomo, and Chris Christie — to name enough so everyone can find someone they hate and someone they love). These politicians in other states have been able to wake up and smell the bankruptcy around the corner and lead their citizens toward a path to fiscal sanity. Dan Malloy is a nice guy, and it’s great that he has eliminated capital punishment and been great on social issues — but when it comes to fiscal issues, he and the current legislative majority have failed the state miserably. And the corrupt bargain with the public employees unions (vote for me and I’ll give you job security an protect your compensation even if the state goes down the tubes) has been a disaster for the state. It’s like the state is in business to serve its employees not to serve all of its citizens. Politicians have a choice — protect the public employee unions at any cost or solve the state’s fiscal problems — it should be an easy choice, but the taxpayers seem to be the sacrificial lambs every time the choice is presented.

  4. John Hamlin

    And those “concessions” were the biggest giveaway of all time.

  5. M. Murray’s

    Not really sure how you consider the concessions a giveaway. State saved millions.

  6. One and Done.

    The state could have saved billions had it done the right thing and given no raises while trimming 10% across the board. Instead Malloy increased spending and taxes to record levels, promised jobs where no promises should have been made and to sweeten the deal they are getting 10% raises in the four years following. The so called freeze didn’t exclude bonuses, longevity payments, and the general laziness installed in the workforce with zero accountability.
    .
    One and Done.

  7. M. Murray’s

    Actually by renegotiations the contract, the state saved millions by not paying raises they were already contractually obligated to pay and reduced medical expenses they wre contractually obligated to pay.

  8. piberman

    John Hamlin hit the nail on the head viz Gov Malloys “corrupt” bargain with state employees to help secure his election. No wonder he’s unwilling to ask for “concessions”. If only he had similar sympathies for taxpayers. But his political ambitions take precedence. Democrats have a true “champion “. Glory be.

  9. M. Murray’s

    The state employees dislike Malloy. Remember how they voted down the concessions and a scam was pulled to change the ratification procedure to open it up?

  10. piberman

    As apples for from trees we can guarantee powerful support for the Governors reelection from every public union in CT. Even Norwalk. They’ve never had such a real “friend” in Hartford. No other state following the Great Recession “guaranteed” public union employment for 4 years together with a 2 year wage freeze. Thereby ensuring CT would rank last in national economic growth years later. Democrats should be especially proud of their Governor and work hard for his reelection. Imagine the pain and suffering awaiting all of us in the next 4 years amidst another recession. Governor Malloy has been the most fiscally imaginative Governor in the nation’s recent history. And we have the economy to show for it. Go Democrats !

  11. M. Murray’s

    The assurances of no layoffs was a compromise with the unions in agreement where unions would give back wage increases and sacrifice on medical benefits. The state saved a great deal of money. The other option was for the unions to hold the state to its contractual obligations that had been negotiated in good faith. The state had an obligation to pay contractual wage increases and medical benefits. The other option was to hold the state to their obligations under the contract and make the state pay the wage increases and more expensive medical benefits. The state would then have to lay off employees, pay unemployment benefits, cut services to citizens. Should those employees laid off get other jobs, the state would have to hire new employees when openings came up and would have to start the hiring and training process all over again, which is quite an expense to the state. It was actually a win for the state and junior employees at the expense of senior employees.

  12. One and Done.

    “cut services”.
    .
    Or God forbid, they work more efficiently like the real world does. Only in the fantasy land of guaranteed government jobs does this mindset arise.
    .
    What ever happened to Malloy’s suggestion box? I guess state workers just can’t come up with anything original or innovative to improve services with less resources. That tells me all I need to know…they are expendable.
    .
    Culling 10% of this herd immediately would have a good effect on the productivity of the remaining. Send a message that you actually have to work for your paycheck and fat pension.

  13. LWitherspoon

    @One and Done
    .
    Gov. Malloy’s “suggestion box” has to be one of the more amusing schemes dreamed up by any politician anywhere. With the passage of time I have forgotten a few details. What exactly was the suggestion box supposed to accomplish?

  14. One and Done.

    The suggestion box was supposed to generate some 200 or so million in savings. I won’t hold my breath for that.
    .
    My suggestion? 10% across the board headcount reduction and real budget cap indexed to real inflation. I bet that one never made the ‘suggestion box’.
    .
    One and Done.

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