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Norwalk: Bacon Bits


by turfgrrl


March 31st, 2007 · 6 Comments

Pork. Bacon. Earmarks. Funding. This is the language that is used to describe the money that lands in local programs from the state or feds. But House Majority Leader Jim Amann had a new spin on the ability of the Norwalk delegation to bring home state funding for Norwalk. He said:

“How much bacon has Larry [Cafero] brought home? Larry Cafero survived, and he’s been doing nothing but bringing home bacon bits.”

Amann was responding to Cafero’s comment:

“Isn’t it ironic that these are the very people who ran against Republicans, saying that because they would be in the majority party that they would be able to bring home the bacon like it’s never been brought home before?”

And Cafero was responding the democratic angst over the recommendations out of the Education committee to slash Education funding. You know, the issue that we are very focused on here in Norwalk.

But some House members got a rude awakening this week when a Democratic formula for doling out state education money left those well-heeled, now-Democratic-represented towns on the short end.

That is causing Democratic angst - and, on some issues, defection. In the education committee this week, Democrats representing Madison, Fairfield, Stamford and Redding all voted against their party’s plan that would slash aid to their towns. Adding insult to injury, Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s plan offers far more money to those towns.

…
For example, Rell’s plan would give a 55 percent increase in cost-sharing dollars to Fairfield, but the Democratic plan gives only 3 percent. Stamford would get an 88 percent boost under Rell’s plan, 3 percent under the Democrats’.

So from the Courant we also find out that Norwalk really does get those bacon bits. Of course, none of our area Reps are on the Education Committee except for State Rep Toni Boucher-R. She voted against the bill coming out of committee. So why is it that Norwalk got the bacon bits, again?
















Town name

Fiscal ‘07 Funding

Governor’s proposed ‘08- ‘09 funding

Difference

Pct. Change

Education Committee ‘08 - ‘09 proposal
Difference Pct. Change

Norwalk
8,712,307
11,481,678
2,769,371
31.8%
8,973,676
261,369
3.0%

source: Courant, Democratic Angst By CHRISTOPHER KEATING, March 31, 2007

source: Courant, Educational Cost Sharing Information, Town By Town, March 31, 2007

Tags: In the News · Local · Norwalk

6 Responses so far ↓ “Norwalk: Bacon Bits”



  • 1 anonymous // Apr 1, 2007 at 12:28 pm

    What Gaffey needs to understand is that everything and everyone in our towns are not RICH! Fairfield county again, gets the low pecertages because of this belief. While towns like Litchfield and North Haven get more. Some one has to tell the powers that be that we are not all Trumps and Rockerfellas south of Hartford.

  • 2 anonymous // Apr 1, 2007 at 9:23 pm

    Can someone please explain to me the formula for figuring out which town/city gets what cut? It just does not look right.

  • 3 Joanne Romano (Council) // Apr 1, 2007 at 9:45 pm

    ECS (Education Cost Sharing Formula)If someone could figure that out they would be a genious! Its the most unbalanced mess I have ever seen. It seems that those who set this up looked at Norwalk as an influential town because it borders Westport, Wilton and Darien and therefore we are all rich. To get an idea of how this works here is a link that you might find interesting. I spoke about it when I ran for State Rep and gave an example of how much Norwalk is short changed
    http://www.housegop.ct.gov/Documents/HowMuch.pdf

    Norwalk gets only $8 million, most smaller towns are receiving $25 million or more. Meriden, for example, with only 60% of our population got $46 million.
    And by the lates information from the state it doesn’t look like any more will be forthcoming any time soon.

  • 4 anonymous // Apr 4, 2007 at 6:17 pm

    Thank You Joanne, Why is Norwalk not in the Urban Core with the 7 other cities? Again is it wealth by location? It does not seem realistic. And has anyone brought this to the attention of the state senate?

  • 5 Joanne Romano (Council) // Apr 4, 2007 at 7:41 pm

    As I said, Norwalk is surrounded by wealth and therefore we must be wealthy. sever of our State reps have tried over and over again to make sense of this mess and to try to get the formula corrected but too many at the other end of the state look at us and just don’t care. A complete overhaul of the formula is in order and the taxpayers in Norwalk need to start making some noise. Our reps can’t do it alone. Had the formula been upgraded way before now, we would not be having the debates over the BOE budget because we would be in a position to get state funding at the same level as the 7 other cities. However, if you look at the following link you will see just where Norwalk sits in all of this: http://www.courant.com/media/acrobat/2007-03/28649330.pdf
    Go ahead and compare for yourself and then understand that something need to be done. After that go to this site and look at the education committee votes http://www.cga.ct.gov/ed/ and you can follow the committee hearings and decisions. Once again Norwalk will be short changed with no increases over the next several years.

  • 6 anonymous // Apr 4, 2007 at 9:01 pm

    So we pay more in taxes and because we are surrounded by Wealthy towns we are not considered Urban Core? And those students in the Urban Core get $3,500 (per student) more in aid than we do? Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven, New London, Waterbury, West Haven…one more I could not remember…these towns are getting labeled Urban Core, it just does not seem possible.