A budget no one loves is probably a good one

It is hard to imagine Connecticut citizens becoming so disenchanted with state finances that they would storm the Capitol in Hartford, like they’re doing in Wisconsin right now. But there’s a good chance people from opposing political camps will find many things to dislike about Gov. Dannel Malloy’s proposed budget. As the saying goes, if no one is satisfied with the proposal, it’s probably a good one.Malloy presented his budget Feb. 16 in a speech to the General Assembly, in which he reiterated a call for “shared sacrifices” from residents, businesses and state employees. One of the biggest numbers the governor mentioned is $2 billion in concessions being asked of state workers in the form of a new health-benefits package, wage freeze, adding furlough days to the fiscal year and adjusting the state retirement age.“These are only some of the ways we can get to that $2 billion figure,” Malloy said. “But let me be clear: We have to get to that number.While Malloy’s budget does include small tax increases, he noted that the proposed budget has no new spending in it and that it reduces spending on current services by $1.8 billion. The budget uses no borrowed money for operating expenses and consolidates or eliminates numerous state agencies, reducing the total number of agencies by 30 percent. Malloy even reduces his own staff by 15 percent to set an example.Malloy has been widely praised for proposing an honest budget that tackles the state’s monstrous deficit. His demand for Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP) will make the budget more transparent and easier to understand, while the tax burden is fairly distributed across income levels. Between spending decreases and slightly higher taxes across the board, the governor’s budget will achieve what previous administrations have failed to deliver — a state government with “its fiscal house in order.”By requiring state employees to make difficult cuts and asking everyone to share in paying the state’s bills, Malloy has offered a fair budget. It may be tough medicine for some. It may not be what we want. But it is what we need.