Unity or Unions?

It's getting to be that time of year. After a holiday celebration of Hopey Changemas following the election, Barack Obama must stop showing off his naked breasts in Hawaii and assume the mantle of power. Similarly, the new Connecticut General Assembly must stop screwing around and actually address the massive budget deficit heading our way.

Tomorrow afternoon that august body will convene once more to inadequately address the budget deficit. If only demogoguery, empty rhetoric, platitudes and stupidity could be converted into cash, the General Assembly would have us back in the days of flush surplus.

As I have said before, if you want to lose all faith in state government, if you were foolish enough to have any in the first place, all you need do is watch CTN coverage of legislative committee hearings and witness the blank expressions, the inappropriate and uninformed remarks, and the bald imbecility of questions posed by those masses of Democrats overrunning the legislature. These people have no idea what they are doing, are in so over their heads it is barely measureable, and they are in charge.

Newly minted House Speaker Chris Donovan has a unique challenge trying to balance his new role as Speaker with his old role as union shill. Yesterday Republican leaders had the temerity to suggest that raises for union contracts should be delayed until the summer.

Usually the General Assembly lets such raises fly through, taking effect without a vote - very convenient for Democrats. The great test as to whether Speaker Donovan is interested in actually addressing the deficit, or in handing out cash to his union pals while the ship of state sinks in red ink will be determined by which course of action he takes.

Which will it be Mr. Speaker? Wiill you stand with taxpayers or union bosses?