To: Members of the Joint Budget Conference Committee
Cc: All House and Senate members
This will not be
the first time the state budget wasn’t ready by the beginning of
a fiscal year. We read the delay as the attempt by responsible
legislators to enact essential savings.
CLT strongly supports the House version of municipal health
insurance reform over the Senate’s need to continue to
accommodate union intransigence.
However, we support the Senate plan to crack down on illegal
immigration. Our members know that the House considered a
similar plan but was sidetracked by a further amendment
supported with someone’s maiden speech. This happens.
These are not normal times, this is not a traditional shake-out
recession that will resolve itself anytime soon.
Taxpayers can no longer afford to give extraordinary benefits to
local public employees, or to support immigrants who are here
illegally.
Since we do understand that compromise is sometimes necessary,
here is our suggestion:
The House gets the GIC issue, the Senate gets the illegal
immigration issue, and taxpayers can say, "Good job."