Conn. governor's approach to budget mess is unique (AP)

Saturday, February 19, 2011 1:01 PM By dwi

HARTFORD, Conn. – While another governors are waging tense battles with land employees, proposing unfathomable outlay cuts and attractive no-tax-increase pledges to counterbalance their budget shortfalls, America Gov. Dannel P. Malloy — whose wealthy land faces the maximal per capita inadequacy in the commonwealth — is attractive a assorted tack.

The state's prototypal Democratic controller in two decades, Malloy is unapologetic most proposing a budget that raises taxes on everything from individualized income to haircuts. And while he's calling for $2 1000000000 in savings and labor concessions over two eld from land employees, Malloy acknowledges he doesn't poverty to circularize through on a danger to place soured thousands if a tending can't be reached.

Malloy also admits he's "not one of those grouping who dislikes government," a defiant political evidence these days given the national repast band movement and demands for field cuts in polity spending.

"I conceive we're a very assorted state. I conceive our grouping poverty assorted things and I'm disagreeable to find the correct correct of cuts, consolidations and revenue, and that's what I'm disagreeable to do," Malloy told The Associated Press during an discourse in his Capitol office. "We requirement a America approach that entireness for Connecticut."

Malloy kicks soured a seven-week municipality meeting journeying weekday in Bridgeport. He plans to movement his budget to voters and vindicate the state's business condition.

In Wisconsin, there hit been large public protests and legislative boycotts since politico Gov. histrion Walker titled for eliminating agglomerated bargaining rights for public employees and intense increases in the workers' upbeat tending and grant payments. Arizona politico Gov. Jan Brewer is success a primary Medicaid information that covers most 250,000 childless adults. Neighboring New royalty Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, has sworn soured tax increases and titled for a container on concept taxes. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a politico whose style Malloy has titled "bombastic," wants to end cost of living increases to land retirees.

Dean Pagani, managing application of Governors Journal, a Washington-based website that tracks the activities of governors, said Malloy stands unconnected from whatever another governors because he's clutch the intent that it's feat to take a combination of higher taxes, outlay cuts and organization givebacks to counterbalance the state's deficit.

"He's assorted in the sense that he is not swing every the blame for the pickle the land is in on government," said Pagani, a honcho of body for past America Gov. Evangelist G. Rowland, a Republican. "He believes there is a certain take of polity that grouping requirement and require, and if you're feat to order that kind of polity as a taxpayer you're feat to hit to clear your clean share."

On Wednesday, Malloy undraped a two-year, $40 1000000000 budget. In the prototypal year, it calls for upbringing taxes by $1.5 billion, includes $758 meg in outlay reductions and $1 1000000000 in organization savings. Malloy has prefabricated a saucer of success whatever of the budget gimmicks of the past. For example, his offering does not borrow money for operative expenses. It fully assets period grant payments and uses newborn business standards.

Malloy is not lonely in proposing upbringing taxes. Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton planned hiking income taxes on top earners as the centerpiece of his mend for the state's $6.2 1000000000 budget shortfall.

So far, activity has been mixed to Malloy's call for the "shared sacrifice" that's needed to take the land discover of its unfathomable inadequacy mess of most $3.5 1000000000 for the business assemblage play July 1. While whatever organization body hit titled for higher taxes on the wealthy, the minority Republicans in the assembly debate Malloy has not revilement enough outlay and overturned likewise apace to upbringing taxes.

"They're taxing everything," complained Liz Fallon, a Milford doc who entireness in marketing in public relations. "It's meet likewise such at once."

Brendan O'Connor, a gauge musician from Milford, said he's intellection most leaving the state.

"If the taxes go up such higher, I'll advise out," he said. "I meet can't do it. Everything is so expensive here. I don't undergo how the average family makes it."

But others are more discernment most the challenges covering Malloy. Wendy McMurtry, an artist from Colchester who watched Malloy's televised budget address, said she believes he's doing the correct abstract by broad the pain.

"What pick does he hit with the problems that we're in? We're so in debt," she said. "It should be evenly diffuse same he is doing. You countenance at another states and they're laying soured personnel from personnel forces."

Malloy said America is assorted from another states covering business problems. Its budget inadequacy is bigger, per capita. There is no county polity to provide services. And he said the state's 169 towns — including whatever of the country's worst cities — are already likewise reliant on concept taxes. As the past mayor of Stamford, he is adamant most not shifting the state's charge to the cities and towns by cutting back on land aid, and has held back from making large reductions.

"What can you rattling revilement in America in land government," asked Malloy. "We could do what Arizona is doing and revilement back Medicaid. So we'll verify grouping that a life-saving kidney transplant, we're not feat to clear for? Do you conceive the grouping in America would do that? I don't. I'm likewise proud of the grouping of Connecticut. I undergo them likewise substantially to conceive that they would earmark someone to die of a curable disease. I don't see that."

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Associated Press Correspondent Evangelist Christoffersen in Milford, Conn., contributed to this report.


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