A short history lesson is in order. Way back in April, when legislative flunkies of all flavors were trumpeting how much of a budget surplus they could all spend, the bonding package that was on the table totalled $3.4 billion. An example:

State Senator John A. Kissel (R-Enfield) was pleased that the State Senate approved a bonding package tonight that included $2.8 million for the town of Enfield. The language was included in section 14 of State Senate Bill 2001 and passed the Senate just after nine o’clock this evening. Senator Kissel had worked closely over the last several months with a variety of state officials to ensure that the funding was part of the bill. The funding will compensate the town for costs incurred upgrading its wastewater treatment plant to handle excessive sewage flow produced by the state’s Department of Corrections.

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The fear of actually solving the route 7 corridor traffic congestion must drive State Senator Judith Freeman-R and State Rep Toni Boucher-R to fits. Why else would a zero dollar funded study proposal send them into lame quotes like these:

State Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, worked to include the study - which did not include a request for funds - because he said traffic continues to worsen as commuting increases from northern suburbs into Stamford and Norwalk.

It took the Senate several hours to pass a Democrat-backed $3.2 billion bond package on a 21-12 vote that fell along party lines. The House passed the bill on a mostly party-line 84-38 vote shortly before midnight.

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Bureaucrats will be bureaucrats, and when there’s federal money at stake, there will be those clamoring for a study to spend those dollars. That is basically the case with Flyod Lapp of SWRPA. When legislators reconvene this week to do something with the bonding package, the $1.5 million for this congestion pricing study, is on the table. What a waste of money.

State Senator Bob Duff has identified the priority for any transportation legislation, and its too bad that there are some who think studies about congestion pricing make sense given that Connecticut has no viable alternatives for residents to choose from alternative transportation.

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Talk about hubris. Here’s a guy whose FBI transcripts reveal the cozy relationship he had with alleged mob connected James Galante, and a mysterious diner chat that swirled around “paying a visit” to “take care of” the wayward behavior of a relative. Senator Fred Thompson were he still on Law and Order would have no qualms about what to do. He’d prosecute and have the whole disgraced State Senator removed from office by the first commercial.

Instead we get the ponderous slow-mo action from the State Senate Leadership, and the defiant response for DeLuca. From the Advocate:

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Nancy Wyman gets it right when he levelled criticism at the new budget agreed to by the legislature. From the Courant:

“Using the great majority of this one-time windfall to fund ongoing programs is a very questionable financial practice,” she said in a written statementThe legislature’s nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis has projected that the state could see budget deficits totaling $1.7 billion from fiscal years 2010 to 2012.

“This year’s enormous surplus was created mainly by workers through the payroll tax and investors through the capital gains tax,” Wyman said. “Government should be using that surplus money to safeguard the taxpayers’ financial future, not on a one-year spending spree.”

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Finally the budget bill is on its way to Governor Rell. Not much to add except that freshman Senator Sam Caligiuri-R Waterbury was the lone vote against it due to concerns about the spending cap. From the Courant:

The Senate later approved three other bills Monday that spell out details of the budget package, which would take effect July 1. The House of Representatives is expected to return to the Capitol later this week to vote on one of them.

Both chambers could still vote on bonding bills later this summer.

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So far, the budget vote is planned for Friday. But by late Tuesday, 24 hours after the budget negotiators reached a tentative agreement, according to the Journal Inquirer, the votes might not be there. The reason? ECS funding, in particular to Fairfield County towns, and the opposition is from upstate legislators. From the Journal Inquirer:

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The Courant is reporting the a budget deal was struck late Monday night. From the sketchy details emerging, and I’ll have mroe later, it seems that the new budget is the same old budget with few tweaks. Details are still under wraps but some were leaked to the Courant:

The deal, which the House and Senate must still ratify, calls for keeping the popular property tax credit at the current maximum of $500, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

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The technology gods have conspired to afflict The Hour’s web site again with no updates. Not that the Advocate has much going on it site. Much ado about graduation, but the Courant is talking about the numerous political contributions that mob-like substance trash hauler James Galante provided.

Galante’s companies and at least two of his employees, and persons related to or living with them, donated about $10,000 to DeLuca’s Senate campaign and to a DeLuca-allied political action committee from 2002 to 2004, campaign finance records show. Two of those employees have already pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy charges and are awaiting sentencing.

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The Courant reports his statement. “I promised from the beginning that I would not allow the mistake that I made interfere with my public office. By stepping down today, I am making sure that my personal issue does not overshadow all of the good work we’ve done and will do as a caucus.”

Ummm … his personal issue? Look, as a politician in a legislature he is supposed to make laws not break laws. The fact that he didn’t bother to report a bribe, where he allegedly said he was “afraid of them guys & tracing things.” Hardly the ringing flat refusal it should have garnered.

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