Gov. M. Jodi Rell has written Connecticut’s congressional delegation to express her concerns about the effects that program cuts and eliminations contained in President Bush’s budget proposal would have on state and local budgets.
“While there is good news for Connecticut in some parts of the budget – especially in the area of defense spending … eliminating programs such as the Preventive Health and Health Services and the Community Services block grants would be extremely short-sighted,” Rell said.
“Equally short-sighted – and even more distressing – are further cuts proposed in homeland security grants,” Rell said.
According to Rell, the state’s share of funds has gone down each year since 2001 from more than $15 million in FFY 2005 to $3.3 million in FFY 2008. Under the president’s current proposal, Connecticut would receive $750,000 in guaranteed funding in FFY 2009.
Rell presented her budget proposals to the state legislature last week, placing emphasis on public safety – including additional state troopers on state highways, increased truck safety inspectors and a further crackdown on violent criminals in Connecticut – as well as preserving the state’s quality of life, including a $15 million Stewardship Fund to overhaul state parks and forests.
In her budget speech, Rell emphasized that current economic uncertainty means state government must exercise fiscal restraint, saying the state must not exceed the constitutional spending cap or raise taxes.
