On March 29, I joined my colleagues in a bi-partisan vote, supporting a mitigation package to address a $220 million deficit for the current fiscal year.
Unfortunately, many majority party legislators still do not recognize the need to change the way state government operates, in order to stop our perpetual budgetary shortfalls.
I, along with House and Senate Republicans, proposed an alternative budget in 2015 that was summarily dismissed. The budget passed in June, which I voted against, was loaded with tax hikes on individuals and state businesses and provided no structural changes to how state government is run. Now that we are in perpetual budget crisis, I have done my best to help find a way to restore proposed cuts that would have been harmful to the communities in my district.
Our efforts to mitigate this shortfall last week included the examination of each department for excess funding and to use these funds to balance the budget, saving important core services including:
• Preservation of state aid to municipalities.
• Restoration of $31 million to our state hospitals that also triggers $100 million in federal funding.
• Insuring that Services administered through the Department of Social Services (DSS) remain uninterrupted.
While I am pleased that both sides were finally able to work together, Tuesday was not such a great day. We shouldn’t have been put in this position in the first place.
Just slapping a Band-Aid on the ongoing budget problem is not a real solution. Our people deserve better.
If you have any thoughts, concerns or comments contact my office at 800-842-1423 or email at Charles.Ferraro@housegop.ct.gov.