The State House of Representatives just approved the state budget that was approved by the State Senate yesterday.
With the economy in a slump and the state budget in great deficit, everyone knows that there are difficult choices that need to be made. There are many difficult choices made in the budget approved today, and there are things about this budget that I do not like.
But, overall, I think that Rep. John Geragosian, chair of the legislature's Appropriations Committee, did a good job of creating a budget that makes fair decisions from the difficult choices. This budget cuts the state budget by over $2 billion, by making tough choices to cut back on state spending.
Yet this budget makes the fair decision to preserve important things, like:
This budget makes the choice to be fair by asking the wealthiest people in the state - those with incomes over $500,000 a year - to contribute just a little more to be able to meet the important needs of our state.
I voted in support of this budget. Now it is important that Gov. Rell sign this budget so that the state will have a budget by the start of the budget year on July 1st.
With the economy in a slump and the state budget in great deficit, everyone knows that there are difficult choices that need to be made. There are many difficult choices made in the budget approved today, and there are things about this budget that I do not like.
But, overall, I think that Rep. John Geragosian, chair of the legislature's Appropriations Committee, did a good job of creating a budget that makes fair decisions from the difficult choices. This budget cuts the state budget by over $2 billion, by making tough choices to cut back on state spending.
Yet this budget makes the fair decision to preserve important things, like:
- support for our local schools
- health care
- Dial-A-Ride for senior citizens
- ConnPACE
- libraries
- nursing homes
- Head Start
- family resource centers
- technical schools
- services for seniors and people with disabilities
- funding for the arts - including the New Britain Arts Alliance.
This budget makes the choice to be fair by asking the wealthiest people in the state - those with incomes over $500,000 a year - to contribute just a little more to be able to meet the important needs of our state.
I voted in support of this budget. Now it is important that Gov. Rell sign this budget so that the state will have a budget by the start of the budget year on July 1st.
