February 3, 2009 - Budget Suggestions

• Explore the possibility of recycling, reconditioning and refilling toner cartridges rather than buying replacement ones from a third-party or a printer maintenance contract.  This could be something that Correction’s and the prisoners might be able to do.
• Lay off the newly hired consultants – if employees cannot do their job without consultants they should be fired.  In addition, sell any recently purchased real estate, have welfare recipients secure employment after a certain period of time, and reduce managers at UConn.
• Comment:  This is an opportunity to recast and reinvest Connecticut’s state government.  Focus on taxpayer value; remind citizens that support for our less fortunate begins at home, in the business community, in the local neighborhood and places of worship, not on the back of government.
• Legalize marijuana and have the Department of Agriculture grow it for sale in 1 ounce bags – sell it over the Internet.
• Make it clear whether there will be an early retirement program or not – retirees will get out either way (with a bonus or with their full retirement without a penalty.)
• Help improve the delivery of social services by eliminating or abolishing self-declared income for HUSKY.  Families should provide verification of their income when applying for this program.  Many families who are not eligible for HUSKY A are enrolled in the program because there is no requirement to verify income.  Without even changing the eligibility requirements there would be a huge savings in this program by simply verifying income.
• Eliminate duplication of services – Child Advocate’s office performs similar functions to those performed by offices within DCF – ombudsman, court monitors, etc.
• Reduce the number of managers at Social Services – there are 9 levels of managers.
• Reduce the amount of work that is contracted out to outside firms – save money by utilizing existing agency staff. 
• Share the burden – if state employees will have to sacrifice their jobs because government is too big, then those with higher incomes should also be asked to pay more in taxes.  Without asking those who can pay more in taxes to do so, but instead, just put hard working middle class state employees out of a job, this burden will not be shared equally.
• Reconsider wasteful spending – hiring a press secretary for $160,000 per year should not be allowed, especially considering the discussion as to whether there is enough money for the prison guards to receive a small cost of living adjustment.
• Link managerial pay to performance and consider eliminating the longevity payments.
• If downsizing state government, reduce the number of state managers, not the rank and file workers.  Managers make much more than rank and file employees and they do not directly serve the public.
• Transfer the inmates from the Brooklyn Correctional Institution to the vacant beds in the Cheshire Correctional Institution – disperse the overflow to the other facilities and transfer the staff to vacancies elsewhere.  These steps could help reduce or eliminate the budget for Brooklyn. 
• Merge the Willard-Cybulski and Enfield Correctional Institutions – would allow for the elimination of some administrative and managerial staff.  The same could be done for York and Gates.
• Review the welfare system and ensure the assistance is going to people and families who really need it.
• Suspend the recruitment of 4 Airport Crash Rescue Fire Fighter positions at the CT Air National Guard.  Bradley Airport is nearby and has a large fire department staff with the same job titles and could provide coverage if needed.
• Follow the private sector – freeze pay, increase costs for medical and dental coverage, lower pension matches, cut educational benefits, reduce the amount of time off hours that can be carried over, etc. 
• Increase the deposit on beverage containers to 10 cents on all bottles except liquor bottles, wine bottles, beer bottles, and cans.  Increase the deposit on those containers to 15 cents with 5 cents going directly to the state. 
• Ask all companies in CT to have all employees take 2 furlough days per quarter and have the companies apply the money toward the state deficit.  This will allow the entire state to share the burden as opposed to only having state employees, who already accept lower salaries in exchange for the benefits they receive, carry that burden.
• Designate specific dates for furloughs if they are applied to all employees – could save on energy and operational costs associated with state buildings.  In addition, state employees will not be eligible to file for unemployment by taking 5 day blocks.
• Cut the salaries of all non-union, elected and appointed employees by 10%; furlough employees for one week every month, and do not allow any raises for one year.  For union employees – give them the choice of between either a 10% pay cut or 10% in layoffs.  Lastly, elected officials should reduce their office staff to 1 assistant for each official unless the additional staff is paid for out the individual’s pocket.
• Comment:  Many state employees would be willing to go back to 35-hour work weeks to save the jobs of others and save the state money. 
• Offer an early retirement incentive to state employees.
• Reduce management staff in state agencies by half.
• Have more state employees use fleet cars – the cost associated with reimbursements for employees using their own cars could end up being very high, and, by making employees return the vehicle at the end of the day will reduce waste and abuse (some employees, when using their own vehicles, head home early from meetings and field visits when they use their own cars.)
• Allow Corrections support staff and counselors to work a 4-day work week at 9 hours per day.  This will help with operating costs and help the economy with more people out spending one more day a week.
• Comment:  State employees also pay CT state taxes.  We are not exempt from those.  So, in actuality, we are paying ourselves from our own paychecks and contributing to everyone’s social security benefits, welfare and unemployment for those less fortunate.
• Comment:  Avoid layoffs – during the last round families lost their homes and they do not want to go through that again.