‘Imperfect’ Malloy asks for patience, understanding

Stamford — In the first of a series of open-ended town hall meetings, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy stood his ground Thursday on his intention to make deep spending cuts. But the governor did so in a tone more plaintive than combative, suggesting in his sixth year in office he was humbled by fiscal challenges.

“I’m an imperfect governor. I’m an imperfect messenger. I’m imperfect in many different ways,” Malloy said after an evening of complaints about things he is cutting. “But I’m working really hard to find the right balance. I don’t believe the right balance is raising taxes at this time.”

The audience sent him home with applause, an uncertain prospect at the start of an evening that would produce near- ly unbroken complaints about what his budget would cost Connecticut in terms of services and quality of life.

Everyone was polite, if pointed. A non-profit agency, Kids in Crisis, pushed back hard at the steep loss of revenue it faces with complaints from a foster parent who called the agency invaluable and a little girl who asked in a high-pitched voice if he wanted to do “the right thing.”

“You’re only hurting the kids,” said Sami Goldman, reading a letter she had sent Malloy. “These kids are scared and lonely.”

Most began their question with a compliment, but they quickly got to the ask: Could Malloy possibly find money for just one thing? And, aside from Kids in Crisis, nearly everyone’s one thing was different.

He heard people who came to see if a few more dollars might be added for libraries, for the University of Connecticut, for community health services, for at-risk children, for affordable housing. One speaker also challenged him on high taxes, but she was a minority of one.

Twice, Malloy held up his hands, stepped forward and said he understood their pleas, but they must understand his problem: The economy cannot support all the services state government now provides.

“Everyone who wants their taxes raised, raise your hand,” Malloy said, glancing around an audience of about 250 people at the University of Connecticut branch campus. He thought he detected one, maybe two people.

Malloy, a Democrat in the second year of what promises to be a second term of fiscal challenges, said he does not believe Connecticut is able or willing to pay higher taxes, not after major increases in the first year of both terms. Left unsaid was the national beating Connecticut took when General Electric chose to leave the state for Boston, another high-cost locale.

“If we want to compete with northern New Jersey and Westchester County to get New York jobs, then we have to compete with them,” Malloy said after one woman challenged him to raise taxes on the rich, rather than cut services that benefit the needy. “Part of that competition is on what individual taxes are or what the corporate tax rate is.”