Thanks to the snow my full day out is now a quiet day in. Woohoo!
Feel free to celebrate your day off (or complain bitterly about the lack of one) in the comments.
And what else is going on?
Snow Day Open Forum
by CGG · February 14th, 2007, 8:10 am · 23 Comments
Tags: Uncategorized
23 responses so far ↓
Oh, I’m at work. Bah!
We might want to talk about California deciding to move its primary to February…
I wonder how many primaries actually will move in 2008, and what the effect will be.
I like the idea of having four regional primaries.
I am currently out of state but after talking to my son who is there I understand so far this storm is mostly ice at least in the middle of the state. Sort of a typical CT storm.
Anyway, he mentioned that as usual the governor has asked that all non-essential state workers not report to work. Fine, who am I to question that call.
But it might be interesting to see how many state workers are considered, or consider themselves, non-essential. My guess is a fairly large number do………..
If that should be the case I do wonder, if it might it then dawn on our governor that instead of first raising income taxes, she might first try to save some money, by cutting a little non-essential spending? Then see if it’s still “essential” for her to raise our income taxes.
Maybe we should help the governor out. Here’s the list of state agencies. Where should spending cuts be made?
Good point, Al but I think in government speak “non-essential” means the guv and legislature don’t need them every day to perpetuate their existence, which is afterall waht govet. is all about these days. Here’s some homestate news on the progress of the Rell budget:
http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-ctrellsell0214.artfeb14,0,3088524.story?coll=hc-headlines-politics-state
Genghis: it doesn’t have to be about “cuts”, which makes everybody think they’ll lose something, because it can be about “savings” where through new and improved policies, management and decision making, services can be made better at less cost. It’s done all the time in the private service sector.
Oh, and I’d wish the politicians would stop using the term “investments” when referring to “expenditures” of taxpayers money. A change in nomenclature from spin to reality might be a good place to start.
One does not need an MBA to understand that with the number of state agencies listed on the link Genghis provided, there must be huge opportunity for savings.
The issue is not in offering the Governor the specifics of where to find savings in each of these numerous agencies. The issue is that our political leaders are not inclined to dig very hard to go look for them.
I am at a complete loss to understand how any state agency working at any semblance of reasonable efficiency could afford many non-essential workers.
I know I am playing a bit with the words here, but they strike me as so telling. On one hand the governor can tell us that the government is working so efficiently that instead of looking to reduce the fixed costs at the state level, she is requiring us taxpayers to raise ours by raising the income tax. Then she has the gall to call any state worker, “non- essential”.
Sorry Genghis. At this point I don’t think it’s our job to point out to the governor where she can save money. That’s her job, which clearly she has decided not to do. We might do better by asking her exactly where she expects us to keep finding the money to compensate for her actions.
Yes, I too shutter at the word “investment” when used to describe state spending.
Al, Essential Employees basically consist of Police, Fire, Medical and Plow. By essential they refer the minimal staff necessary to prevent the state from descending into Anarchy. Now, I’m sure to some only maintaining an absolutely barebones government is a great idea, however I’m not one of them, and if people took the time to realize all the services “non-essential” employees provide, I doubt very many people would actually support maintain an “essential government.”.
Has anyone ever actually done a study of why young people are leaving, I’d wager a guess that its because of the stuff outside, not the taxes. As a 22 year old who’s itching to leave the state, and has only stayed because this is where I could find a job, my main reasons are the weather and lack of a World Class city(ie Boston or New York.) No one in my age group, that I have talked to, has ever mentioned taxes as a reason for getting out of the state. If State Income taxes were the reason for the outmigration, than New Hampshire should be one of the fastest growing states in the Country, it is not. In fact, out of New England States, “Taxachusetts,” is the best at keeping young workers.
http://www.lowellsun.com/front/ci_5056961
“It’s done all the time in the private service sector.”
Toucan, the government can not be run like a business, and frankly that’s the way of the people of the United States seem to prefer it. The private sector has the distinct advantage of only needing a relatively small number of people to make a decision, in some cases just the Chairman or CEO, in others a small group of managers, or a small group of managers and the workers. Any decision that is made at the government level involves the entire population of the governed area. Yes, there maybe be small things that can be done to create some savings, however anything big would require public hearings, negotiations with unions, consideration of constituents, legislative negotiations, municipal negotiations, votes, amendments, lobbyists, heads of the departments, study, after study, after study. The private sector is not required to have all their decisions vetted by every person it affects. Chrysler would have a much harder time laying off those workers if they were forced to run like a government. Frankly, the US government was designed to be slow, inefficient, and transparent, and I doubt many of us would have it any other way.
Adamcs95 is right. A lot of people from my college graduating class ended up in Greater Boston, where taxes, house prices and the cost of living in general are very high. They went because Boston is more fun than Hartford, and there are jobs there.
Yes Genghis the key word …………Jobs!!!!! Sure some graduates will find some here in CT but many look outside the state to places where there are far more choices.
And yes Adamcs95 I agree high taxes are not the primary reason young people leave…I think it’s a combination of poor job market, a boring place to live, the poor weather, and many other reasons. But as you grow older like I have, and after a lifetime of working hard to get your kids through college, pay all your bills, as well as pay all the high taxes at some point you just say enough is enough.
So many of us older guys do what we should have done as kids……Get out. It’s not that hard to see where this is headed if things don’t change.
And oh yes I do respectfull disagree with you that government cannot be run like an efficent business. There is no excuse for waste anywhere. It’s time we stop making excusses for very poor management.
Adamcs95,
Let me give you an example of why I feel so strongly about government waste.
My 90 year old mother for the last 5 years has lived in an Assisted Living home here in CT. It costs my mother, my brother, and myself, about $4,000/mo. to keep her there. We happen to believe that as long as she has any assets left he and I should also use our assets to keep her there as long as possible.
However ALL of her assets, her home included, will soon run out. We will have exhausted them all to finance her stay there. He and I will still do our best, but after a while, I am sure my brother and I will no longer be able afford to keep her there, as well as pay for our own expenses.
At that point the state in it’s wisdom will allow her to go on Title 19 and force her to move into a Nursing home at a cost to the taxpayers of the state of about $9000/mo. For some reason that makes more sense to the state than allowing her to stay where she currently is and is happy, for $4,000/mo.
My mother has had a couple of month long stays at Nursing homes over the last few years recovering from falls. What I noticed during my visits to see her at those Nursing homes was that a significant percentage of people who are permanent residents there are only there, because Title 19 and the state forces them there. In other words many could easily be living happier in Assisted Living homes, while saving the state $5,000/mo each at the same time. Across the entire state the number of people in this situation must be huge. I want to stress there is no medical reason for these people to live in a Nursing home it’s the result of Title 19.
I have repeatedly pointed this out to both my reps at the time, (one is now a new US Congressman). I questioned why the state was willing to waste millions of taxpayer dollars this way and at the same time making the lives of so many older people miserable by forcing them into nursing homes when all they needed was assisted living at a far less cost. Both totally agreed with all my observations and conclusions. Both said they would push for a legislative change, to correct this waste, and both repeatedly did nothing. Why would the state leave so many dollars on the table?? This is just one example of waste, just one simple example.
Don’t tell me that state government can’t be run more efficiently. We get the government that we are willing to accept.
Al,
http://cga.ct.gov/asp/CGABillStatus/CGAbillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=HB5302
http://cga.ct.gov/asp/CGABillStatus/CGAbillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=HB5662
I think there are others, but I can’t find them right now. My point was not that government is not wasteful and that it shouldn’t be fixed, it was that it takes an extended period of time to fix the problem. While a private company may see this and fix it immediately, the government has to notice it and then it has a long process to go through. While a business may be able to try new things every 6 months, even the best governments would take several years to realize there is a problem and then fix it, and we make that sacrifice willingly. When that rule was written, probably when Medicare and similar programs were drafted, nursing home care was probably far cheaper, it is only now that we realize it is not and have begun doing something about it. I would suggest you call your current legislators and ask them to Co-sponsor it, perhaps the results will be different with some legislation in the pipeline. Though it may not fix the entire problem, it seems like a good starting point.
If you would like to go further than this, draft a letter to the Chairmen of the appropriate committee (I don’t believe the committee bill deadline has passed yet) I would be very happy to sign on with you, as I am sure everyone that takes part in this Blog would. You are right that we get the best government we are willing to accept, and this is a great medium to mobilize people and get them and stand up and say that they don’t accept it.
Does the state employ any visiting nurses or aides and the like at all?
They should be considered essential. I’ve gone to too many homes and apartments of elderly who need people, but the aide wouldn’t come in because they feel they are non-essential.
There should be a bill proposed requiring these workers to report to work whenever possible, and their agencies should be accountable for making sure that someone meets the daily needs they’re supposed to provide for.
(just an observation I’ve noted in past storms…)
adam: even Bill Clinton would disagree with you. I am speaking about the operating side of government not the political side – and that’s even with meunderstanding that the operating side in CT is highly political!!!!!
Adamcs95,
I have not had a chance to read the links you posted but certainly will. Thanks.
However at this point let me ask a simple question. I have posted here an obvious waste of taxpayers dollars that total about $60,000/yr for each person in a nursing home on Title 19 that does not need Nursing home 24/7 care, but only Assisted Living care.
Now take that $60,000/yr times all the people across this state that find themselves in this position. There must be many hundreds, if not even more. The amount of money wasted here is staggering, certainly many millions. Probably enough to pay for many other government programs without needing to raise additional revenue.
Now you say government has to notice waste before it can act. This waste has been brought to the attention of my reps for years now, not just by me, but to other reps, by other people as well. The waste still goes on to this day. So just how much waste has to go on for how long before government notices?
By the way you maybe interested to know that yesterday Sen Gaffny of Meriden in a commentary in that local paper expressed his desire to see the millionaires tax start at $100,000. I know your just a young guy starting out in this state and may not be one of the “rich” yet but hold on Adam in another year or two you will be considered rich when they get that tax down to $50,000. Amazing how fast Government can work when it raises taxes isn’t it??
Actually, state employees were allowed to come at 10:00 am., not stay home. But, an early dismissal of 2:30 was also allowed.
Al, the nursing homes don’t want it to change because they rely on the government to build and maintain their market!!!! This is where I agree with adam that govt doesn’t work like the private sector – it works based on who grease whose palm!!!!!
Hi Toucan,
I suspect your on target with your comment. And this is one reason why I commented it’s not our job to point out to the Governor where she can find savings in the myriad of state agencies listed in the link Genghis provided. It’s a waste of time until they all get the grease off their palms.
In no way do I expect that government try to run itself like a private business. Actually far too many private businesses do a great job of putting themselves out of business. But I cannot accept deliberate waste especially when that waste is directly linked with special interests.
In the example I mentioned it is not only the cost but it’s the devastating effect this gross misuse of taxpayer money has on those directly affected that bugs me.
Ever been to a Nursing Home?? Ever been to an Assisted Living facility? If your money is all gone, and your forced to go on Title 19 to survive is there even the slightest question in your mind where you would rather live out your final years, if your health allowed a choice between the two?
The state in this case is not only wasting huge amounts of taxpayer money it is also forcing many of our elderly to live out their lives in misery, rather than dignity. It’s not just very wasteful, it’s down right disgraceful.
I don’t want to sound like I am crying in my soup. I only point this one example out to Adam as one place for the state to start respecting the taxpayers. In this case it also happens to provide a far better solution for many of our elderly as well. If the Governor doesn’t want to start here, then how about unfunded liabilities? The point is start someplace, anyplace. But get into the mind set that all costs fixed, and otherwise can, and must be reduced.
In fairness to the governor. I’ll ask a simple question. I am focusing on her decision to raise our income taxes. I didn’t hear any comments from her regarding any savings ideas. Did she mention any? Or was she only focused on taxing more, so she and the GA could spend more?
Agreed Al, and campaign finance reforem where the governement will begin to fund the job searches of the politicianas in 2008 is supposed to fix all this. I don’t buy it for one minute. And after saying all that, i still believe the USA is the best governemtn in the world —- but somedays I wonder.
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