Rell: Now They Have No Excuse

Outgoing Republican Governor Jodi Rell held her last meeting of the state's bond commission today, presiding over the panel that has the final say over the state's borrowing.  WNPR's Jeff Cohen reports.

 

Rell got some pushback from members of her own party on various issues before the bond commission -- people like Senator Andrew Roraback who said now is the time for the state to be spending less money, not more.

 

After the meeting, Rell told reporters that she had kept a close eye on borrowing for capital expenses and had not exceeded the targets she set for herself.  She also had cautionary words for her successor -- Democratic Governor-elect Dan Malloy.

 

"I think you're going to have to work very closely with the leadership and the members of the general assembly to identify where you're going to start to cut spending. He has made it already very clear that he will be calling for additional taxes.  But in order to get any support for that, if that is to take place, you're going to have to prove that you're willing to cut spending."

 

Rell sounded a familiar message as she readies to leave the state capitol.  She says she has done what she could given that she was faced with a Democratic legislature.  It's the legislature, she says, that didn't do much of anything at all. 

 

"I think if you will look back at the budgets that I have put out, I have proposed eliminating agencies, consolidating agencies, eliminating boards and commissions, and I had an overwhelmingly Democrat majority that said, 'We're not interested in doing any of that, thank you very much.' If he is serious with working with members of his own party I think that now is the time to get started on that, because, frankly, now they have no excuse."

 

Rell leaves office January 5.

 

For WNPR, I'm Jeff Cohen.