Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations

State employees are being handed a lucrative contract while Connecticut is mired in $72 billion of debt and many private sector workers are faced with unemployment which has climbed to 9%.�� With no guarantee of a secure revenue stream, the Governor has limited his ability to manage our state and its finances by locking the State into contracts with state unions under a four year no layoff clause.� As a result,� taxpayers could be burdened with taxes exceeding the $1.5 billion already factored into the Governor�s Budget.��

The following is an excerpt from the article by CTMirror.org captioned:� Next challenge for Malloy: Can he hang on to his fiscal cushion?

With over $19 billion in bonded debt, Connecticut ranks among the top three states in the nation in terms of debt per capita, and debt as a percentage of the taxpayers' personal income.

The state's received an actuarial report last November showing its employee pension fund in its worst shape since the state began saving for pension obligations in the mid-1980s. That account held less than 45 percent of the funds needed to meet its obligation to workers.

Further complicating matters, Connecticut shifted the pension contribution system in 1995 from a level-funded 30 year schedule to a backloaded system that will force dramatic increases over the next few decades. The required annual contribution is projected to grow by 50 percent by 2017, double by 2026 and triple by 2038

Also, as the Federation reported a few weeks ago,��

� Overtime can be lucrative for some state employees as a Supervisory Nurse with a� Base Pay at $103,239 and Overtime at $231,190 receives a Total Pay of� $334,429.

� Hundreds of state employees who accepted a retirement-incentive package in 2009 remain on the state's payroll.�� At least 38 rehired retirees are collecting six-figure pensions in addition to a paycheck�� http://articles.courant.com/2011-04-24/news/hc-retire-rehire-0424-20110424_1_highest-paid-retiree-retirement-package-state-retirees

� As of April, 2011,� 411 Retirees Receive Pensions From $100,000 to $266,295; 2,592 receive $75,000 to $100,000; and 6,181 receive $50,000 to $75,000 in addition to taxpayer funded healthcare.� http://www.ctact.org\upload\home\20112.xls

� 911 State employees who are collecting salaries from $62,000 TO $202,000 are� union stewards allowed to conduct business on state time.

� In October of 2010, Connecticut's 3,582 non-union employees and 28,175 union employees each received a longevity payment costing the state $19.7 million.

� The average state employee's annual compensation, including salary and benefits, is $105,498, compared with $74,174 for the average worker in the private sector, according to a December report produced by the state Commission on Enhancing Agency Outcomes, a task force formed under the former administration to streamline state government.

� About 14,000 state employees make no contributions to their pension plans, according to the benefits commission. Another 18,315 make a 2 percent contribution.

� Connecticut had $26 billion in liabilities related to retiree health benefits in fiscal year 2009.

� The state is required to make payments exceeding $5.4 billion a year to compensate state employees and retirees, a figure that represents about 25 percent of the state's general fund budget.

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Two union negotiators earn as much as CT Gov. Malloy, 27 earn six figures� �May 9, 2011� By Zachary Janowski It is well known that Gov. Dannel Malloy makes $150,000 in salary. In fact, the salaries of most state employees are public information.� But what do the union negotiators who represent state employees make?� The federal government collects information on four of the 13 unions that make up the State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition. The remaining unions don�t file or claim exemptions from the requirement. http://watchdog.org/9308/two-union-negotiators-earn-as-much-as-ct-gov-malloy-27-earn-six-figures/

At CVH, $346,077 In Pay To Answer 'Primarily False Alarms' May 7, 2011 Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown has a largely volunteer fire brigade with three full-time state employees who were paid $346,077 in the past fiscal year: $134,441 for Chief David Quinn, $131,268 for Assistant Chief Martin Leachman, and $80,368 for firefighter Joe Fragoso. http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-lender-column-cvh-fire-fighters-0520110507,0,327592.column

O.C.�s $200K lifeguards spark international shock May 12th, 2011, by Jeff Overley� Writers worldwide are chatting about Newport Beach�s year-round lifeguards getting compensation packages that sometimes top $200,000, the latest spit-coffee-on-the-computer-monitor revelation concerning public-employee pay. Discussion of the six-figure salary-and-benefit packages � which include $400 a year for sunglasses and �sun-protection materials� � is all over Twitter, and has even made its way across the Atlantic. http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2011/05/12/o-c-s-200k-lifeguards-spark-international-shock/82891/

Malloy: Deal worth $1.6 billion; unions get no-layoff assurance By Mark Pazniokas and Keith M. Phaneuf May 13, 2011 http://ctmirror.org/story/12590/unions-malloy-reach-dea

Opinion: An illuminating look at public vs. private wages� By Daniel Borenstein� Special to the Mercury News� Updated: 05/11/2011� "The current public compensation systems are overcommitted to large vested pension rights, which do not provide state and local governments with adequate flexibility to manage their budgets." Read complete article at �.. http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_18035506?nclick_check=1

Governments Consider Cuts to Once-Untouchable Pensions Officials in strapped states have begun looking for loopholes to cut retirement benefits for current employees.April 26, 2011 - By MICHAEL COOPER and MARY WILLIAMS WALSH - U.S.�� Read full report at �.. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/us/26pensions.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=pensions&st=cse

Federal Workers Making Big Bucks, Study Finds�� A new analysis by USA Today shows as of last fall there are nearly 18,000 Federal employees who make over $180,000 a year. That's up from about 800 workers in 2005. http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2011/05/03/federal-workers-making-big-bucks-study-finds/

Gas and Food Push Up U.S. Inflation

PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PENSION CHANGES IN OTHER STATES http://www.cga.ct.gov/2010/rpt/2010-R-0433.htm

Panel Backs New Storage Site for Nuclear Waste� WASHINGTON (AP) � A commission created to find a safe way to dispose of the nation's nuclear waste is considering a plan to build one or more storage sites to replace a long-planned nuclear waste dump in Nevada.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/05/13/us/politics/AP-US-Nuclear-Waste.html?hp

EDITORIAL: Big Labor�s attack on democracy Administration launches strike on Boeing and right-to-work states By THE WASHINGTON TIMES-� The Washington Times 7:43 p.m., Tuesday, May 3, 2011 President Obama�s hand-picked appointees at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) are delivering favors to the administration�s Big Labor backers. In just the past two weeks, the board has taken steps to overturn the will of voters in two states and chill the speech of corporate chieftains who spoke out against the labor movement�s thuggish tactics. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/may/3/big-labors-attack-on-democracy/?sms_ss=hotmail&at_xt=4dc20acc94353ef6%2C0

Bills Would Worsen State's Climate For Business CEOs Polled New legislation won't help Connecticut improve its ranking� May 08, 2011

On top of higher taxes and everything else that makes Connecticut a hard place to do business, Democratic lawmakers at the state Capitol have introduced legislation to make it even harder.� They are pushing bills that would prevent employers from communicating with their employees and that would mandate paid sick leave even for struggling businesses that can't afford it. Either bill would further distress the business climate in a state that desperately looks for fair weather� http://articles.courant.com/2011-05-08/news/hc-ed-bills-bad-for-business-20110508_1_business-climate-business-leaders-employers

U.S. States Pension Fund Deficits Widen by 26%, Pew Center Study Says By William Selway � Bloomberg The deficits, or the difference between the retirement and health-care benefits states have promised their employees and the assets set aside to fund them, grew to $1.26 trillion by the end of the 2009 budget year from $1 trillion a year earlier, the Pew Center on the States said in a report released today. The fiscal year ends in June for all but four states. The gaps are straining governments that have yet to fully recover from the recession and are stoking political fights in states such as New Jersey, Ohio and Wisconsin over the workers� benefits. They have also drawn scrutiny in Congress, where Republicans have held hearings into the risks posed by underfunded pensions and backed legislation that would bar the federal government from bailing out any ailing funds. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-26/u-s-states-pension-fund-deficits-widen-by-26-pew-center-study-says.html

Home prices plummet CNNMoney

Special CNN Report today �.. State May Close one of the Best Performing Schools in Hartford�� Learn Why�..

The battle over school integration �� http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2011/05/10/obrien.ct.school.integration.cnn?hpt=T2

The American people understand the campaign money-corruption ...� By Rachel Lewis� May 4, 2011 The below statement was delivered at a press conference on the Hill today. Does anyone in America really think it�s a stretch to suggest that corporate campaign spending might affect decisions about what the government spends money on �and to which companies it gives contracts? Isn�t that a huge part of why corporations spend money on campaigns? Public Citizen strongly urges the Obama administration to adopt a draft executive order that would require companies that bid for government contracts to disclose their campaign spending, in order to diminish the likelihood that contracts are a payoff for political expenditures.

http://www.citizenvox.org/2011/05/04/obama-executive-order-government-contractor-disclosure-public-citizen-press-conference/

100 of the Top Delinquent Income Taxpayer Accounts
Deficient in Excess of 90 Days as of April 1, 2011 http://www.ct.gov/DRs/cwp/view.asp?a=1453&q=296114

Squeezed Cities Ask Nonprofits for More Money �New York Times� By MICHAEL COOPER�� May 11, 2011�� As recession-racked cities struggle to balance their budgets with everything short of feeling behind sofa cushions for loose change, a growing number are seeking more money � just don�t use the word taxes � from nonprofit institutions that occupy valuable land but by law do not pay property taxes.� http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/12/us/12nonprofits.html