Conn. GOP unveils budget plan

Hartford (WTNH) - Connecticut Republicans unveiled their budget proposal today and they say it would erase the deficit without tax increases.

It's the third budget proposal put on the table; Gov. Jodi Rell's budget calls for deep cuts and no tax increases. The Democrats' plan last month called for tax hikes, spending cuts and borrowing.

The Republicans say there is a better way.

"We must not raise taxes," said Rep. Larry Cafero (R-Minority Leader).

The Republicans say yesterday's tea party rallies sent a very clear message.

"What was, sort of, symbolized by the demonstrations yesterday in Hartford, and all over, is, people are saying, 'We can't afford our government anymore,'" said Cafero.

The Republicans hope to slash the deficit by extracting close to a billion dollars from the state employee workforce through a voluntary early retirement offer, an 18-month salary freeze and benefit concessions. They say a billion dollars could be saved by rolling back all appropriations to 2007 levels.

"We make one billion dollars more in hard, identifiable cuts than our Democratic colleagues," Cafero said.

The Democratic leadership say they also got the message from yesterday's tea parties.

"People don't like to pay taxes, nobody does," said Rep. Chris Donovan (D-Speaker of the House).

But while welcoming the Republicans to the bargaining table, the Democratic leadership said that their proposed cuts will not work because some can't be made.

"Cuts, in terms of hurting health care for poor families on Medicaid, that would jeopardize and cause us to lose $1.5 billion in federal aid," said Sen. Don Williams (D-Senate President Pro Tem).

But a budget without a tax hike is not feasible, the Democrats say.

"It's not going to happen. Let's figure out a way to be fair about it and let's care about where we are as a community and fund the things that are so important to us all," Rep. Donovan said.

The Democrats also say that in private discussions representatives of the Governor's office and the Republicans have said to them they know it can't be done without new sources of revenue.

The governor, the Republicans and the Democrats will finally start budget discussions next week.