Last Thursday the House Dems updated their proposed budget. Sifting through the changes, Patrick Linsey of the Hour noted that the Norwalk ECS funding did not change, but that income tax hikes proposed previously for those households that earned $150k and above and shifted to those earning $200k and above.

Apparently, none of our Norwalk Democratic delegation has much influence with the House Dems leadership which control the budget numbers. This will present a problem for State Senator Duff and State Reps Bruce Morris and Chris Perone. If they voted for the Democratic proposed budget they are an ensuring Norwalk gets bacon bits yet again. The Republicans, House Minority Leader Larry Cafero and State Reps Toni Boucher and John Ryan will likely vote against it the Dems proposed budget.

With only two weeks remaining in the legislative session, it ends on June 6th, negotiations are ongoing. The question though is whether all of our Norwalk delegation will be able to pull together, past party pressure and work the house in order to craft opposition to a budget that hurst not only Norwalk, but coastal towns and cities as well.

Likely state reps that might see the value in that approach include William Tong D-Stamford, Kim Fawcett D- Fairfield, Peter Panaroni-D Branford, Terry Backer-D Stratford, Jason Bartlet D-Bethel, Patricia Widlitz D-Guilford, Deb Heinrich D- North Guilford, Diana Urban-D Stonington, Cam Stamples-D Hamden, Bryan Hurlbut D- Tolland, Tim O’Brien-D New Brittain, and James Spallone-D Haddam.
My list includes many freshmen state reps that may not be beholden to the core Education Committee Democrats that have been dishing out unfair ECS funding to their home districts instead of working to improve the ECS forumula.

The dilemma for Norwalk’s delegation will be to achieve a working coalition without endangering other programs and bills favored by the Democratic leadership. Somewhat of an irony, it is the same issue that prevented the Congressional Republicans from breaking away from the House GOP at the federal level the past 6 years.

In the macro, having a dominant party tilt to a legislative body for a long period of time is generally a bad thing. Better bills come out of more negotiation, not less. Of course just about any party person would vehemently disagree with me, but that is the nature of party politics and why I subscribe to people politics.

So far the House Republicans seem to be winning the PR war. But the budget will not be crafted on PR wins alone. Recognizing that their budget plan will be rejected because of the not invented here syndrome, they should help form a coalition of ECS reformers behind the scenes.

The mood of taxpayers in towns across the state is reflected in the votes against raising property taxes to pay for education. Education budgets across the state are being cut. Norwalk’s situation is not unique. ECS funding as it is has done enough damage. It is time to reform it, even at the cost of a budget battle.
Source: The Hour, Dem leaders push for tax cut with new plan, By PATRICK R. LINSEY, May 21, 2007