Malloy sucks, to be sure. But I really do find a few things about living here fascinating (if I didn’t have to pay for it, that is.)
It speaks to what’s going to bankrupt the whole country: Malloy tries to make cuts – some silly, sure, but he actually tried to do “little” things like close a bunch of the Welcome Centers to save a few million. “OH NO! YOU CAN’T CLOSE THE WELCOME CENTERS!!!” cried the populace.
He actually tried (as much as a Dem can) to take on the teacher’s unions. “OH NO! YOU CAN’T DO THAT!” cried the populace.
Reduce state pensioners? “OH NO! YOU CAN’T DO THAT” cried the populace.
It’s a joke. Get a job with the state and you can be an incompetent buffoon but you’l get early retirement and a full pension and guaranteed promotion/raises. Work there long enough and you lose sight of the real world and actually feel persecuted. It’s a conversation I’ve had a million times – as my wife works at a large insurance employer that continues to lay off highly skilled workers every couple months, year after year.
It’s insanity.
The Bigger picture point is, the majority of the nation will never, ever allow real cuts to ever be made ever and any politician that does it, will be out of a job. Term limits would solve that issue in a heartbeat.
America had a choice between a GM mgt style vs. a Ford / Mulally downsizing, re-engineering processes and getting healthy.
America chose and CT especially chose the GM model.
It is that simple, we are so screwed.
We has individuals need to metaphorically divest of GM stock, i.e. prepare for the crash of the leviathan, it is 2004 and like George Will predicted, we can see it coming....
Malloy has surprised me a few times. On one hand he looked like he was taking the budget seriously, raising taxes and making a few of the cuts you mentioned. On the other hand when push came to shove there was no layoffs(no benefits reform), and he bent over for the unions everytime. I honestly think it is impossible.
CT is actually a beautiful place. I think there are many nice people. However, I think I pay a whole lot more for the same standard of living I could get in Alabama for a whole lot less.