Fergus Cullen, the executive director of the conservative Yankee Institute for Public Policy, is blasting the state employee unions and their coalition, known as SEBAC, for filing a written complaint with Attorney General George Jepsen regarding the concession and savings deal with Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
"There are two groups of people in Connecticut: those who enjoy the security, high pay, and generous benefits of government jobs - and the rest of us who pay for them,'' Cullen said Monday. "The unions think state employees deserve permanent jobs, automatic raises, and guaranteed health and pension benefits worth well over a million dollars per state employee. The Yankee Institute disagrees.
"The union alleges that the Yankee Institute is breaking the law by opposing sweetheart labor union deals. We categorically deny all of the union's accusations made in SEBAC's desperate and paranoid June 17 letter to Attorney General Jepsen. If the unions can't provide any evidence to support their charges, they should withdraw them and apologize to the Yankee Institute before their credibility is further damaged. Without such evidence, the Attorney General has no basis for an investigation and he should say so immediately.''
Cullen, a Yale University graduate and the former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party, continued, "We understand the government unions are frustrated to have as effective a critic as the Yankee Institute. But that does not excuse the union's delusional behavior or the union's desperate attempt to use the power of the state to silence us.''
"We suggest SEBAC cool off with a tall glass of lemonade and some time in the shade."
Some of the opposition to the deal is being funneled through www.votenotoconcessions.com, whose domain is registered in the small town of Burlington, Massachusetts.
But Matt O'Connor, a spokesman for SEBAC, hurled verbal brickbats back at Cullen.
"The bottom line is the Yankee Institute has some explaining to do,'' O'Connor told Capitol Watch. "I think the Yankee Institute is the one who should be apologizing for attacking working people in this state for the better part of two decades. ... Their actions threaten the quality of life in the state. They're carrying out an agenda that is founded by very powerful, elite, anti-worker interests. That's what they need to apologize for.''
Concerning Cullen, O'Connor asked, "Does he really want Wisconsin in Connecticut? Does he really want Ohio in Connecticut?''
Roy Occhiogrosso, a senior adviser to Malloy, said, "The Yankee Institute clearly has an agenda. ... There's clearly a misinformation campaign going on. Is there a link between the two? I don't know.''
