Senate Leadership
October 3, 2007
Senate President Williams, Majority Leader Looney Call on Governor Rell to Immediately Release Details of Her Proposed Bonding Package
Governor violated her own call for confidentiality; public deserves full story
Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) and Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney (D- New Haven) today called on Gov. M. Jodi Rell to immediately release the line-by-line details of her proposed state bonding package, saying the governor has already violated her own call for confidentiality by telling members of the media that she is willing to spend $120 million more on state bonding than she had first proposed in February.
The governor violated her own demand for confidentiality just moments after adjourning a Monday morning meeting at her Executive Mansion in Hartford to discuss the stalemate over the size and scope of the biennial state bonding package.
"Once again the governor is trying to have it both ways," said Sen. Williams, who attended Monday's meeting with the governor and Republican leaders. "I agreed--at the governor's insistence--that details of her latest biennial bonding package would be treated confidentially. But moments after we left the room, Governor Rell disclosed to the media the total amount of her proposal, which she claims adds $120 million to her bonding package. In fact, the Republicans are proposing nearly a half-billion dollars in cuts to the bonding plan approved by the legislature. The press and the public deserve to know the entire plan."
"As usual, Gov. Rell is quick to create a positive spin, but is loathe to make the difficult choice on the record," said Sen. Looney, who also attended Monday's meeting with the governor. "She will violate the sanctity of her own self-imposed call for confidentiality if it suits her purpose, but she is unwilling to tell the whole story about exactly where she would cut $446 million in public infrastructure improvements. Once again the governor wants to be seen only as the friendly provider, but not as the responsible executive. She cannot have it both ways."
Sen. Williams also noted that Republican Senate Minority Leader John McKinney (R-Southport) and RepublicanHouse Minority Leader Larry Cafero (R- Norwalk) have been silent about how the governor's new bonding proposal cuts $240 million from the Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee bond package that was approved in April with unanimous Republican support. "Sen. McKinney and Rep. Cafero need to explain to the public and to their own caucus members where they stand on the governor's new bonding proposal," Sen. Williams said. "All 15 Republicans on the Finance Committee voted for that bonding package, including Senators Roraback and Nickerson and Representatives Klarides, Caron and Floren. These are top political leaders in their respective House and Senate caucuses. Again, the Republicans cannot have it both ways. They can't vote for more bonding and then quietly acquiesce while the governor cuts a quarter-billion dollars from a bill they voted for."
On September 26, Sen. Williams asked Gov. Rell to provide a detailed list of the projects she would cut from the Democrats' bond package, and stated that "this will help clarify the issues for the people of Connecticut, and will assist in our mutual discussions regarding you concerns about the bill" passed by the legislature.
To date, the governor has refused to make that list public.
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Senator Williams’ Larry Cook |
Listing of Leadership’s recent press releases. |
Senator Looney’s Larry Cook |
