CONNECTICUT LEGISLATURE APPROVES DEFICIT REDUCTION PLAN

ON MONDAY NIGHT, NOVEMBER 24, 2008, THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT LEGISLATURE PASSED A BUDGET DEFICIT PLAN FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2009.

THE APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET DEFICIT PLAN OF TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS ($288,000,000.00) WAS ALMOST UNANIMOUSLY PASSED. AT 9:00 P.M., IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES VOTED ONE HUNDRED FORTY ONE (141) IN FAVOR AND ONE (1) AGAINST. ABOUT 90 MINUTES LATER, IN THE SENATE VOTED THIRTY FOUR (34) IN FAVOR AND ZERO (0) AGAINST.

REPRESENTATIVE EDWARD MOUKAWSHER, D. GROTON SAID,"WELL, THERE'S GONG TO BE PAIN LATER. I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT ALL THIS STUFF, WE HAVE TO REALLY DO SOME SERIOUS BUDGETARY SOUL SEARCHING. WE HAVE ENORMOUS UNFUNDED LONG-TERM OBLIGATIONS. WE'RE NOT EVEN ADDRESSING THOSE."

REPRESENTATIVE CRAIG MINER, R. LITCHFIELD, WHO VOTED AGAINST THE BUDGET DEFICIT PACKAGE SAID, "I'M NOT SURE THAT WE REALLY DID ANYTHING OTHER THAN PUT THIS QUESTION OFF TO ANOTHER DAY."

WITH A PROJECTED BUDGET DEFICIT, NOW BEING ESTIMATED AT BETWEEN $300 MILLION TO $600 MILLION, MORE CUTS AND OTHER CHANGES MAY BE NEEDED BEFORE JUNE 30, 2009, ON THE FISCAL 2009 BUDGET. THEN THERE IS NEXT YEAR 2010 WITH A POSSIBLE 2.6 BILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT TO CONTEND WITH. NOT TO MENTION THE POSSIBLE 2010 BUDGET DEFICIT OF 3.3 BILLION DOLLARS (3,300,000'000.00). IS MORE PAIN COMING TO CONNECTICUT ? WHAT DO YOU THINK? SHOULD THE MOHEGAN GOVERNMENT BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING TO CONNECTICUT? WHAT DO YOU THINK?

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: NEW YORK HAS AN ESTIMATED BUDGET DEFICIT OF TWO BILLION DOLLARS ($2,000,000,000.00). RHODE ISLAND IS TRYING TO CLOSE A $372 MILLION ($372,000,000.00) DEFICIT.