A Chat With State Sen. Ed Meyer

I don’t normally write about public policy or politics. But the thought of the loss of so many essential state services from the ferries, to the arts, to the courts, to the closure of the Old Saybrook DMV puts me in a really bad mood.

So I called up State Sen. Ed Meyer (D-Guilford) and we had a little chat. I’m sure you’re all aware that the state has a budget deficit of $1.6 billion. Then, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and state employee union leaders announced late Friday that they had reached a tentative agreement on a concession deal that, if ratified, would close the state’s $1.6 billion budget gap while averting layoffs for more than 6,500 state workers.

Meyer assured me that he expects the problem will be solved shortly when the unions vote next week to on a revised concession deal.

Is the budget deficit all the unions’ fault?

Meyer would not say that exactly, but he did say, “The unions came across as arrogant. They were getting a guarantee of no layoffs for four years and in exchange, agreeing to a wage freeze for two years. Connecticut public employees get extraordinarily generous benefits, much better than they would get in the private sector, including how their pensions are calculated. All these things are going to continue.”  

Although the guv and Meyer, who represents Madison, Guilford, Branford, North Branford, Durham and Killingworth, are both Democrats, Meyer has a different philosophy when it comes to state budgetary woes.

“The governor’s plan is being realized, but it doesn’t deal with these benefits, and longevity bonuses, and pension calculations, and we will continue to have public employees paid benefits that far exceed the benefits of other states,” Meyer said.

Further, Malloy’s plan does not downsize the state government in any way to make it more effective and efficient. Meyer is critical of state agencies that have layers of middle managers like the Department of Children and Families.

“The DCF is a billion dollar agency that’s wracked with numerous redundancies,” Meyer said. “I’m independent and I tell it like it is.” You go, Ed.

I am not out to criticize the guv. I think he did the smart thing after the unions refused concessions in the first go-round of negotiations. Kind of like parenting, Malloy showed the unions the logical consequences of failing to compromise – some 6,500 jobs being cut and services for state residents cancelled across the board.

After we, as a state, get through this crisis, I hope Malloy makes it his business to go through each state agency and see where cuts can be made. I also hope the guv is not beholden to the unions and takes a hard look at pensions and all the rest of their benefits.