Where We Live: Budget Chief Ben Barnes
He'lbe saddled with a pretty tough job: How to fix a 3.8 billion dollar deficit
Governor-elect Dan Malloy has named one of his top aides from his administration in Stamford for the crucial role of overseeing the budget.
Ben Barnes held three top jobs during Malloy’s tenure as mayor, and as the new secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, will now be saddled with a pretty tough job: How to fix a 3.8 billion dollar deficit.
In some ways, his job’s gonna be even harder than that. The incoming governor has pledge to institute so-called GAAP accounting measures, essentially limiting the fiscal tricks the state’s used to “paper-over” our real fiscal situation.
Barnes is also an outsider - coming to Hartford’s political scene to deal with the competing priorities of lawmakers from around the state.
Today, where we live, we begin a series of conversations with newly appointed top state officials. Ben Barnes joins us in studio to take your questions.
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I hope that we will find a way to have a more productive budget process.
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Hi, DJ! Thanks for letting us
Hi, DJ! Thanks for letting us know - it's been fixed. :) sorry for the delay!
Podcast not found
Hi JD,
I'm not sure if it's just me, but the audio podcast doesn't appear to be working. It's saying that the file is not found... Thanks!
Thanks, Erin...
...for the comment. Sorry we couldn't get to your phone call. We'll be tackling housing policy specifically in the months ahead, and we'd love for you to join the conversation. Best, jd
Listener Email from Erin
I am flabbergasted by Mr. Barnes's assessment that Dan Malloy's invitation to build multi-unit buildings has helped Stamford.
I've lived here for 40 years.
I live on a street that has been decimated by builders trying to make a buck by wedging apartment buildings where a single-family unit should be. The street is filled with cars that are NOT registered in Connecticut, and we get no ONGOING tax benefit from these multi-unit dwellings because they are all rentals.
Because of that our schools are filled with kids from these units and we have no tax base to teach them effectively. My kids attended Stamford High because I cannot afford to leave Stamford,. It was a zoo!!
Listener Email from Jessica
Thank you for doing this show, it is incredibly informative. Being a student at Western Connecticut State University there have been circulating rumors that the university will be closed. Is that a possibility? Will you shut the doors on WestConn? Or are there other alternatives, such as combining the state school system?
Listener Email from Jean
Looking forward to Mr Barnes role as opm commissioner. To go further on a previous callers question, the regional planning organizations have been working on achieving regional efficiencies for years and the town CEOs work well this way. Do you see a role for rpos In helping to achieve a balanced budget?
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