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The Spectacle Blog
Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy's ineptitude in handling his state's budget crisis ("A National Virus") is not going unnoticed -- especially by those who previously held his job. In a phone conversation yesterday, former Connecticut governor John G. Rowland (1995-2004) argued that Malloy is a "pathological liar" who cribs buzzwords from the Obama administration to deflect from his disastrous job performance.
And it has been disastrous. Since the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC), which represents all of Connecticut's 15 public-sector unions, shot down Malloy's proposed labor agreement -- which promised four years with no layoffs but also asked for $2 billion in concessions and givebacks -- Malloy has been threatening to lay off anywhere from 4,500 to 7,500 state workers. And he's blaming the crisis on Rowland.
In 1997, Rowland signed a controversial 20-year benefits deal with SEBAC that will run through 2017. Malloy calls that deal "unsustainable" and claims that it rendered major concessions -- like the kind Connecticut now needs -- permanently unpalatable to SEBAC.
"He's trying to make me the scapegoat, but he actually wanted to extend that deal another five years through 2022" Rowland says. "He went from supporting an extension of the deal, to blaming it for all of the state's problems. He's all over the place."
According to Rowland, Malloy essentially locked himself in a back room for several months with labor attorney Dan Livingston and hacked out a union proposal without consulting union heads or even sending out any "weather balloons" to test its viability. By the time he emerged from his chrysalis asking for $2 billion in concessions (a "farce" of a request, according to Rowland) the damage had been done -- unions felt jilted and deliberately uninformed, and less than the neccessary 80 percent of SEBAC members voted to accept Malloy's terms.
"On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Malloy is pro-business" gripes Rowland, "and then on Tuesday and Thursday he's signing new government mandates, like the sick-day compensation bill that will cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars a year. As governor, your first priority in handling the economy should be to eliminate the fear of the unknown. With Malloy, you never know what he's going to do next."
That Malloy can sign costly new reforms while simultaneously raising taxes and asking for unprecedented union concessions is the kind of mixed message for which he has become well known, and which, Rowland believes, will continue to drive business from Connecticut.
"We're now losing business to places we've never lost to before, like Cambridge, Massachussetts and White Plains, New York" says Rowland, "And with Malloy in office, we're going to keep losing to nearby areas. He has devastated the economic morale of the state."
A blue-chip prospect in the national Republican Party before resigning amid corruption scandals in 2004, Rowland now hosts a mid-afternoon talk radio program in Connecticut, on which he rails against Malloy with no evident regard for his own political future (he flatly denied Hartford Courant rumors that he's running for state GOP Chair.) "We have 50,000 watts and listeners across the state" Rowland says proudly, "I did battle with unions for ten years as governor. Well, this is how I'm doing battle now."
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SJAY| 7.6.11 @ 10:33PM
The man's an Ex-Con...nuff said!!
Sebby Ballsteros| 7.6.11 @ 10:45PM
Hard to run for state party chair when the election was a week ago Patrick,
CalMark| 7.6.11 @ 11:41PM
Oh, poor unions. Poor, poor, poor uninformed, left-out-of-the-loop unions!
SteveHC| 7.6.11 @ 11:49PM
This is insane. Why would ANYONE care about what this corrupt, convicted and sentenced felon has to say? I don't even understand how he managed to get this job as a radio yakker. Just plain weird...
DenMan| 7.7.11 @ 6:21AM
Yeh, Rowland was a big time criminal, he didn't even come close to the former mayor of Hartford's rap sheet and what did he get. How about all the crooked Washington politicians. Rowland's getting freebies at his lake house was very small potatoes. The Malloy Adm is stealing hard earned from Ct residents and people are leaving this State.
Leah| 7.7.11 @ 6:54AM
That's right Den Man, Malloy is a vengeful,vindictive sob who should be screened for bipolar disorder because his actions are clearly scattered and desperate. Rowland is a very perceptive man who served his time.
Jason| 7.7.11 @ 8:21AM
The guy that was sent to prison for corruption is saying that the current governor is a liar...
Bobby| 7.7.11 @ 8:45AM
Well, Malloy turns out to be your typical tax & spend liberal (not to mention smoke & mirrors budgeting).
On the other hand, here's an example of Rowland's brilliance: he was responsible for an instantaneous 14+% increase in the state payroll when he changed state employees from a 35 to a 40 hour work-week in the 1990's, (presumably for some election time bragging rights?); do you think he got 14% added "productivity"?!
Connie| 7.7.11 @ 5:32PM
I agree with John Rowland on everything he said regarding Molloy. Malloy is socialist, he is ruining the state of CT. We have to get him out of office. I blame all the liberals in this state that voted him in to office. Malloy will not stop until he is voted out of office.
Malloy is a mirror image of Oboma. Oboma has ruined the United States, he also will be a one termer.
I listen to John Rowland and Pastor Will most afternoons. I have the utmost respect for both of them. They explain what really is happening in our state and nails Govenor Malloy each time, I am sure Malloy is really annoyed with State and Church show.
I agree hot tub and champagne is small potatoes compared to what the present clowns in our state and country are getting away with. GO JOHN!
Dean Walsh| 7.7.11 @ 7:14PM
Gov. John G. Rowland (R) did apologize to the little usurper for calling him a "pathological liar". That said, Malloy has been nothing but a disaster for this state, cut from the exact same cloth as Dear Leader Obama. When will all the sheep learn that single-party dominance of House, Senate, and Executive is a recipe for failure?
Alan Muldoon| 7.8.11 @ 11:06AM
Yes Rowland unfortunately screwed up but he was a very effective governor, unlike malloy who is either a liar or just incompetent. I can not wait to sell my house and move south if I can afford to live here for ten more years
Tom| 7.8.11 @ 5:23PM
I'd like to make a few remarks about former governor John Rowland, and generally address some of those who have made remarks about him above. Mr. Rowland has served his time in prison for the crimes committed, and you can take your shots at him for that, but what he did was peanuts compared to the damage our governor is doing to the State of CT. What Rowland did had no real impact on the citizens of our state, but unfortunately, much of what Malloy does is very damaging. FYI, I was very much opposed to Rowland when he first ran for office, but after he lost, and made a 2nd run, I changed my mind about him, and even as a state employee at that time, and suffered some personal impacts as result of his cost cutting, he was an excellent governor, and left the government in much better shape than he found it. Being a blue state, it was extremely difficult for him to do that, and today it is easy for Malloy to implement his plans because of that, and that is a HUGE problem for those of us who live hear, and especially those who do like his socialist tendencies.
As for Rowland's apology, and I have not seen the details, it was nice of him to do that, but what he said about Malloy was dead on. Healthwise he may not technically be a pathological liar, but the truth is, HE CONSTANTLY LIES to the public and public employees. His speeches are so riddled with tall stories it is difficult to listen to him without being outraged. I can't stand to listen to the man, he is so deceitful and misleading, it hurts. One example, he says the budget is balanced, but it clearly is not and his leaders even admit to it. It's a huge lie, and getting worse each day it is not balanced.
As for Rowland's radio talk show, it is a great show, entertaining, truthful, conservative, humorous, current, informative, and sometimes upsetting when he and Pastor Will explain the issues. For the record, the pastor is tougher on the new governor and his administration than Rowland. For those of you who take pot shots at one of the best governors in our recent history, John Rowland, I suggest you give a listen to him on his show (WTIC 1080 Hartford 3 pm - 6 pm weekdays) and see for yourself. For those of you who voted for him, please, please, please pay attention to the details behind what this man is doing to this state as governor, and do what you can to help get rid of him as soon as we can. These are tough times for our state, and Malloy is making things worse. One more thing; if you don't want to listen to Rowland, listen to WTIC in the morning, especially 9 - 12 for more conservative talk, and even the earlier show which is not politically focused, but leans right, as well as WDRC 1360 6 am to 9 am as well as the afternoon drive show which address the same local issues on a regular basis, with very similar opinions. It's hard to be a Malloy supporter around here, and nobody wants to pay the bills for a liberal radio show!!
Thanks Mr. Rowland for speaking your opinion, and explaining the merits of the issues.
benofberlin| 7.10.11 @ 1:27PM
The pot calling the kettle black?
Malloy just trying to outdo Rowland
Does anyone in CT get it?
Doesanyone havea recall petition?
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