The Town of West Hartford roundly rejected the Democrat-approved $215.9 million budget for 2008-09 in a referendum yesterday. With an astonishingly high voter turnout of almost 30 percent, voters rejected a record tax increase on seniors and working families by a nearly 2 to 1 margin. Leon Davidoff, the GOP leader on the council, best summed up the results when he said that “[w]e may be the minority voice on the council, but we are 100 percent in sync with the majority voice in the community."
Mayor Scott Slifka, blamed everyone but the Democrats for the failed budget. "West Hartford," Slifka said, "is starting to see the tangible effects of the state's failure to address an ongoing education cost-sharing shortfall, and property tax reform as a general matter. We're seeing that, even for a maintenance budget, our residents can't do it. Something will have to give."
This blame game has, unfortunately, become standard fare for the Democrats in town. They blame the state for not providing enough education cost-sharing (ECS) funds, they blame the state for not providing property tax reform, they blame revaluation and they blame existing teacher’s union contracts for forcing an increase in taxes. The funny part? The last time I checked the Democrats controlled the state legislature that is responsible for ECS and property tax reform, the Democrats decided to phase-in revaluation and the Democrats negotiated the contracts with the teacher’s unions. Oh, and don’t forget, the Democrats are responsible for a spending increase of more than $13 million this year. In other words, the Democrats have no one to blame but themselves.
Now that West Hartford voters have joined the Republicans on the council in rejecting this year's bloated budget, maybe the Democrat majority on the council will finally stop making excuses and give the town a reasonable budget.
No more excuses.
Let us know what you think.
Justin Clark - Chairman
West Hartford
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2 comments:
LOVE IT!!!
Democrats complain about what their own party hath wrought!
The Town voted along with Republican Council members yesterday and AGAINST the teacher's union! (WHEA, CEA)
Let's not forget to include all the State Elected Democrats in powerful positions in our Legislature: Sen. Harris (D)(a professional politician), Rep. Bye (D)(a public education employee and union member), Rep. Fleischmann (D)(has no-show questionable employment), and Representative McCluskey (D)(a union employee). Is Slifka blaming his own cohorts when he throws blame on the state? Let's help the public identify who these people are. They're certainly not Republican are they?
When will the people wake up and vote these buggers out of office?
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