We”™ve seen this scenario before: A politician declares he or she will not seek re-election and the legislative gears grind to a halt. Nothing gets done.

We have been forewarned by example a hundred times over.

Let”™s rewrite this end-of-administration story.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell just might be the person to do it.

Forget the fact that she has fewer than 12 months before she departs the Capitol for undoubtedly the last time.

As we write this, she must be shaking her head as she again considers a state budget deficit plan crafted ham-handedly by Democrats in the General Assembly that falls miserably short of shoring up the state”™s wobbly fiscal house.

This is the same Democrat-controlled legislature that brought embarrassment unto itself when a news photographer caught Democratic Reps. Jack Hennessy and Barbara Lambert playing solitaire on their computers during a state budget debate back in September.

Can you say bad judgment?

 

Let”™s see if the voters remember come Election Day.

 

As we have written here numerous times before, the state will end the 2010 fiscal year with a budget deficit of $549 million. Expect it to rise as declines continue in receipts of income and sales taxes.

We”™re not sure what the governor will do with the budget deficit plan handed her by the Democrats and of which, in a statement, she said she was “profoundly disappointed.”

Who”™s going to cry “uncle” first?

We hope Rell stays strong and does not sign the plan that was presented to her.

She summed up the Democrats action thus: “Instead of paring back on spending, the majority continues to run from their responsibility.”
In doing so, the General Assembly is making Rell do the hard work and make the cuts members cannot bring themselves to make. Count on the Democratic leaders to hog the TV cameras in the near future portraying the governor as one cold-hearted witch who has turned against the people of Connecticut. They”™ll tar her a lame duck and wash their hands of any accusations of inaction ”“ such a path has a history of voter traction.

Hopefully, voters will see their naked ambition.

 

Seeds for growth

Here”™s a truism by Gov. Jodi Rell:
“There is a real need to provide matching grants to companies with manufacturing capabilities in Connecticut with tremendous opportunity for growth.”

So what do you do? You announce a new effort called the Connecticut Small Business Innovation and Diversification Program.
The program will make $250,000 available for “strategic grants to manufacturers seeking to innovate and diversify their operations in the state,” according to the governor”™s office.

The program is open to companies established in the state or that have operations in the state, have fewer than 500 workers and have ongoing business and sales derived from Connecticut-based activities. Participating companies must match the grants.

The $250,000 will be awarded in grants of up to $25,000 and will operate until June 2011 or until all the grant money has been spent.

Let”™s hope this effort, as well as any new initiatives, will help businesses enjoy a more prosperous new year than the one just completed.