| |
|
The Advocate Staff
Posted: 03/03/2009 06:44:04 PM EST
State lawmakers were right this month to outright reject Gov. M. Jodi Rell's plan to raid energy-related funds to help balance the state budget, although the battle may be far from over.
The governor proposed taking hundreds of millions of dollars from state clean energy and energy conservation funds, which are supported by surcharges on ratepayers' electric bills, as part of a deficit reduction package she sent to the General Assembly this month. The money from these sources going for deficit reduction would come partially in the form of loans and partially from simple reallocations.
These funds must not be used for budget balancing, because they represent a vital investment in the state's economic future. Redirecting this money would put Connecticut, an early entrant into the "green government" movement, out of step with the priorities of the Obama administration and the recently approved federal stimulus program. That program places strong emphasis on creating a new economy by investing in jobs for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Lawmakers also possessed the sense to see that if the programs are raided and money shifted to the state's General Fund, that also would amount to nothing more than another tax on state residents.
Allocations from the state's energy funds are used to promote, develop and invest in energy efficiency and clean energy sources. For example, just recently, money from one of the funds helped make solar installations possible
at new affordable housing developments in four Connecticut communities.
Such alternative energy projects not only reduce the state's need for fossil fuels, but help reduce pollution and improve community health.
The Rell administration, which has promoted environmental initiatives as part of the state's economic recovery, hasn't provided cogent reasons for raiding these funds other than it being one more vehicle to balance future state budgets.
While lawmakers handily rejected the raid as part of the deficit mitigation package, it remains on the bargaining table as part of the governor's recommendations for the biennial budget. But she would be wise to take the request off the table.
|
