New Estimates Show Connecticut Deficit Still Growing

HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New estimates show the projected deficit in Connecticut's main spending account has grown to about $266 million.

The forecast provided Thursday to legislators by the General Assembly's nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis is a marked difference from the deficit figures released recently by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's budget office.

Last week, Office of Policy and Management Secretary Ben Barnes estimated the approximate $18.7 billion General Fund is $19.9 million in the red. The fiscal year ends June 30.

Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano called the numbers "shocking'' and said "people should be scared.''

"People have left the state, in particular wealthier people have left the state, so you have a shrinking tax base," Fasano told WCBS 880's Fran Schneidau.

Fasano said people are finding it's just too expensive to live in Connecticut or to run a business and are urging them to speak directly to their state lawmakers with the message: "Enough is enough."

"Get serious, start changing the way we're moving this state forward and they need to make those calls," Fasano said.

OPM spokesman GianCarl Casa said "projections are going to vary from one set of numbers to another.'' He said everyone should agree "this is a new economic reality'' that requires a bipartisan solution.

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