In the old days, becoming a public servant meant receiving less take-home pay but getting good benefits. It was a trade-off some were willing to make, but that trade-off has eroded in Connecticut.
The recent op-ed in the Courant is correct on one count: state employees are not the problem. If not state employees, then who is to blame for the seemingly perpetual state budget deficit? The problem is politicians who, and this won’t surprise anyone, made promises they couldn’t keep.
This week Gov. Dannel Malloy announced that he will invite Democratic and Republican legislative leadership to bipartisan budget talks, to try to come up with ways to cut government spending. This is a positive step, and hopefully the talks will bear some fruit. In that spirit, we have an idea they can all use: Reform government employee pay and benefits.