[SteveM85]

Originally Posted by mdovell

On a grander level 2026 is when there is going to a significant drop in all academic enrollment. Every administrator knows this. So there's really no choice here.

Absolutely. Many are starting to wake up to the outrageous tuitions these crooked institutions charge these days. The price gouged tuition-student loan fiasco is the greatest scam ever dropped on mankind. There's only one way out - death. Yours.

[JayCT]

Well the state’s revenue stream continues to exceed expectations. The budget is currently expected to have a $2.8 billion surplus. That’s incredible.

Could more tax cuts be coming? Or continue paying down our pension debts? Certainly hope so. Maybe lower the sales tax, eliminate or further lower the vehicle tax or eliminate small nuisance business taxes? What would you like to see done with the money? Jay

https://ctmirror.org/2022/11/10/ct-b...nue-increases/

[Henry10]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Well the state’s revenue stream continues to exceed expectations. The budget is currently expected to have a $2.8 billion surplus. That’s incredible.

Could more tax cuts be coming? Or continue paying down our pension debts? Certainly hope so. Maybe lower the sales tax, eliminate or further lower the vehicle tax or eliminate small nuisance business taxes? What would you like to see done with the money? Jay

https://ctmirror.org/2022/11/10/ct-b...nue-increases/

None of them. Get rid of personal income tax.

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by Henry10

None of them. Get rid of personal income tax.

Actually, we need to reduce the increases to the original income tax in Ct, and we need the formula codified.

We need a maximum deficit and surplus which automatically triggers adjustments to the tax rates across the board in the upcoming fiscal year, with no action by present legislators or the governor being able to avoid the trigger actions. Without that, we just gave them a piggy bank and they are drunken sailors when it comes to spending!

Unlike liberals, I do not applaud Ct seizing more than they needed-which is what a surplus is.

Years ago, Blumenthal correctly chastised YNH for having over $35 million in the uninsured patient fund. Yes, a surplus. He was correct, and all surpluses should have a cap, at which point countermeasures are triggered. All deficits should also have similar trigger actions. De-politicize the trigger via codifying it long-term.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Henry10

None of them. Get rid of personal income tax.

Oh come on now, we’ve discussed this a hundred times already. Stefanowski try to tout that in 2018 and was laughed at. You can’t eliminate the No. 1 source of revenue for the state without serious issues. That just won’t happen. Jay

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

Actually, we need to reduce the increases to the original income tax in Ct, and we need the formula codified.

We need a maximum deficit and surplus which automatically triggers adjustments to the tax rates across the board in the upcoming fiscal year, with no action by present legislators or the governor being able to avoid the trigger actions. Without that, we just gave them a piggy bank and they are drunken sailors when it comes to spending!

Unlike liberals, I do not applaud Ct seizing more than they needed-which is what a surplus is.

Years ago, Blumenthal correctly chastised YNH for having over $35 million in the uninsured patient fund. Yes, a surplus. He was correct, and all surpluses should have a cap, at which point countermeasures are triggered. All deficits should also have similar trigger actions. De-politicize the trigger via codifying it long-term.

Do you have a crystal ball that tells you exactly how much revenue the state will take in next year? If you do, please share it with us. We’d love to know how the economy is going to do in the next year or two. All the state could do is project revenue for the next year based on the best available data at the time and then develop a budget around it. That’s the process used.

It’s not only liberals that applaud budget surpluses, conservatives do too. Where is your criticism of them?

Also despite what you think, it’s not just liberals that like to spend money foolishly. Remember it was the Republicans that proposed adding more debt to our state with no real way to pay for it for transportation. It was Republican Governor Jodi Rell that borrowed $1 billion to balance her budget and the 20 plus years of Republican Governors did nothing to even come close to meet our pension obligations.

Governor Lamont has done a pretty good job of restraining spending and rightly has put those surpluses to good use of meeting our pension obligations. The +$5 billion in advanced payments made toward them will save the state over $440 million a year. That’s good fiscal policy and I don’t care who promotes it. Until our pension obligations are better met and brought down to more reasonable levels, we can’t make significant cuts in taxes. Hopefully that day though is coming. Jay

[BobNJ1960]

I believe in making any tax cuts or increases a function of surplus/deficit situation-not politics.

Simply put, Jay, I trust 0% of politicians.

PS: I am for a reserve, but the one we have now is far too large, and represents valuable $ sucked out of the productive private sector well past the needs to fund the government.

[Henry10]

Originally Posted by JayCT

You can’t eliminate the No. 1 source of revenue for the state without serious issues..

That's exactly the point. Put the Left out of business. Eventually we will. If not this generation, the next generation will.

[mdovell]

Well yeah about that. The foundations is going to have a significant impact economically based on the report. The labor market and commodities are tight and new buildings can take years to make. I'd argue the surplus is either going to go to buildings or pensions. If it doesn't support buildings that's fine but you can't block doing things online (Lamont ended virtual education)

The foundation report has been delayed a month. I think this is going to be ugly.
CFSIC is fine. It's an apolitical organization. I have no doubt and full confidence what they say is 100% the honest truth and they aren't hiding anything.

However
"The board of CFSIC has also determined that it wants to review the report on the pyrrhotite crisis and public use buildings before it is released to the public. The board has also indicated that it wants the report to be modified to include constructive commentary on Public Act 21-120 by way of suggested future enhancements to the Act as it relates to residential foundations and the improvement in those standards. As a result, the public use buildings report will not be published on November 10 as previously indicated, but will be published on or before December 20, once additional commentary has been built into the report concerning suggested enhancements to the Public Act."

On top of this is the federal investigation. I'd argue this is what is going to happen
1) The report reveals a significant number of public buildings have pyrrhotie
2) There will be a significant debate about what should be replaced and in what order
3) Funding - This is where this gets very tricky. The state might want to use the surplus to help communities (makes sense). But it can't. It can't because the federal investigation is still going on.
4) Either you have full control of this process by the state *OR* you have local control but you have to have strict state standards. The state mandates local procurement laws to be uniform in the state, same like Mass did after the UMass boston incident. If towns compete with other towns (both receiving state funding) and some get repairs much later is that fair?
5) We'll see more proposed regionalization and shared services
6) We'll see larger buildings depending on combined needs. So an emergency center that is a combined police/fire/ems center, K though 8 school instead of K though 6, Jrhigh/high school combined.
7) Covid era virtual learning is going to have to come back along with simply doing more online. There might be debates if some buildings really do need to be rebuilt.

[BobNJ1960]

Milford KMart redevelopment hits an impasse. There was a height modification vote which failed. The developers have indicated without it, they will not have a viable plan.