Boucher: “By accepting the financial “new normal,” which has become a catch phrase of those resigned to the status quo, we have accepted failure. I cannot agree to this.”
Report by Paula Antolini
April 15 2016 8:00PM EDT
Sen. Boucher: Finance Committee’s Budget Changes Still Leave Deficit of Over $318 Million
Hartford – Senator Toni Boucher released the following statement regarding the Finance Committee’s revenue plan for fiscal year 2017. The Democrat lawmakers’ plan only addresses the outdated budget deficit numbers released in January totaling $570 million, completely failing to close the actual current deficit projection of approximately $930 million in fiscal year 2017.
“By accepting the financial “new normal,” which has become a catch phrase of those resigned to the status quo, we have accepted failure. I cannot agree to this.”
“It is irresponsible for the Finance Committee to base its actions on January estimates of a $570 million deficit, when today that number is $930 million. It shows that leadership remains in denial as to the full extent of Connecticut’s budget crisis. We will have to return each quarter to close deficits, as we have for the past six years, while still facing billions of dollars in future shortfalls.”
“Inaction and delay have caused the minority party to step in and propose solutions. Even at our final Finance Committee meeting today, when we pointed out that passing the budget before us would result in a $300 million gap, the chairs responded, “well how do you, the minority party, propose to solve it?” Once again, Republicans were asked to clean up a financial mess that might have been avoided, had we been brought into the negotiations from the beginning.”
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