Issue Position: Budget

Issue Position

What About the State Budget?

It's balanced and the legislature did this without resorting to a tax hike. We're taking a long-range approach to smooth out the ups and downs of surpluses and deficits. This will help cities and towns better plan their own budgets and eliminate last minute surprises.

One way we're doing this is by trimming the state workforce. Another is by introducing efficiencies the state rarely enjoyed. For one, we've retired a computer programming language that's 57-years-old. And we're repairing the damage at the DMV caused by the computer system the previous administration purchased.

The Department of Children and families is returning foster kids to Connecticut, saving the state about $80 million so far. Previously they had been sent to foster homes outside the state.

Working with Second Chance Society, we're reducing our prison population, recidivism rate and crime rate. If our success continues, we can even begin closing prisons because we'll no longer need them.

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