Newtown Facility In The Cross Hairs?—

State Budget Cuts Jeopardize Governor’s Horse Guard

By Kendra Bobowick

Is the Second Company Governor’s Horse Guard not worth anything to the legislature, questioned Major Gordon Johnson? “Two hundred years of service…that we have represented the state military department, and to cut units out is,” he paused, “a travesty, awful. What we give to the public…we are an asset.”

As part of the Democratic-sponsored state budget package December 21 were $12.4 million in proposed cuts including $76,500 from the Governor’s Horse and Foot Guards. Frustrated, the major continued, “I believe in what I do, I believe in it. I am defending my position. If I don’t, I might as well not be a part of it.”

In jeopardy are the vistas of sprawling fields broken by split-rail fencing and spotted with grazing horses along Wasserman Way where the Second Company Governor’s Horse Guard is comprised primarily of volunteers such as the major and one full-time and one part-time staff members. The First Company Horse Guard is in Avon. Newtown receives approximately $80,000 from the state. Republican State Representative DebraLee Hovey was adamant: “The next step with this line item is an audience with the Governor. She has the last word. This is her horse guard.”

Noting Tuesday morning that Governor M. Jodi Rell had not yet signed any bills that would include the cut, Major Johnson said, “It’s not over yet.” Hoping to work with the state on a solution, he noted reductions to the company’s budget already, attrition of the herd from as many as 33 horses to a number in the 20s adding, “We have bent and bent and bent.” Senator and Republican minority leader John McKinney criticized that such cuts would be “unfortunate” for Newtown. Referring to the Democrats he said, “They don’t have any plan or explanation for how it’s supposed to happen and what happens when it happens…”

More critical words came from Rep Hovey: “Their plan includes a measly $12 million in cuts and has no cuts to the state work force, yet, one of the things they want to do is underfund the Connecticut Horse Guard.” Included in a recent statement, she added, “Connecticut and, Newtown specifically, are very proud of the Horse Guard’s 200-year tradition. The legislature has been an impediment to the Horse Guard raising private funds to cover expenses, and now they want to strip what little funding they do get. Really none of this makes much sense to me.”

On the phone Tuesday afternoon, she elaborated, blaming a state fiscal analysis office for specifying the reductions. Legislation, as Democratic State Representative Christopher Lyddy would note, indicates that the military would be responsible for determining where cuts would be made.

State statutes indicate that, “you have to have two horse guards,” Rep Hovey stressed, asking, “So, who gave the okay for that line item then?” She said, “I have paid a great deal of attention to the health, care, and well-being of the horse guard; you see them in parades, kids talk about them, onslaughts of people visit the open houses….” Rep Hovey questioned the staffing, asking if savings could be found by reassigning the one full-time or one part-time staff at the horse guard.

What About The Land?

Sen McKinney raised other concerns. Without the horse guard occupying the site, a large block of state-owned land would sit vacant, coincidentally in the vicinity of where the military was looking to open a new base in the last year.

“It certainly would present potential negative consequences if the state desired to use the land for other purposes, or to sell the land to the highest bidder for development purposes, neither of which, I think, would be a good result for the town,” Sen McKinney said. “I am hoping we’ll be able to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“First of all, I am saddened,” said First Selectman Pat Llodra Tuesday. She also shared Sen McKinney’s concerns about the land the horse guard is occupying. “Development is another huge concern. What are the state’s intentions; what are the state’s next actions regarding the property. She understands the cuts, but hopes for “advocates in Hartford.” She added, “All my angst is balanced against the larger deficit ­— we all share this problem.”

Cuts to the annual $80,000 would leave the guard essentially without funding, she pointed out.

Mrs Llodra suggested, “Maybe both [horse guard units] can share,” the funding cut. While she does not wish this upon Avon, she said, “I would hate for us to lose our horse guard. If the focus is on us, it wipes us out.” Like the Republican team representing Newtown, she is sorry the legislators proposed such measures.

“It’s a wake-up call that we’re looking that far into the weeds to find money,” Ms Llodra said.

Major Johnson said, “The legislators are looking for anywhere to cut things.” Has the state entertained other options? Like Rep Hovey, he wondered aloud if relocating or reassigning the full- and part-time people might present more savings than the $76,500. He feels the cut is like “a grain of sand in the whole scheme of things.”

Ready to “find the money in our own pockets and give it to the state,” Major Johnson felt certain that many others in militia would “come up with” the money personally. “We could probably do it, but it would be a temporary fix, but would buy us time.”

Rep Hovey had two final complaints: she asserted that the state “has interfered with the horse guard’s ability to do more fundraising,” as a not-for-profit entity. She also criticized, “Newtown’s primary representative did not call for the defense of our town. I find that very upsetting.” Rep Hovey represents ten percent of Newtown.

Rep Lyddy was not available by phone this week, but did answer specific questions via email. Did this cut create pressure for Rep Lyddy considering it would hurt his hometown?

He answered, “This whole fiscal crisis creates pressure for me, but I don’t think I am alone.” He talked about people he has met who “can’t put food on the table, can’t heat their houses, can’t pay their mortgage,” Rep Lyddy replied Tuesday. He explained, “That’s pressure and it is happening right here in Newtown. Those are the things we need to try and fix.”

Talking about the vote, he wrote, “No vote is easy these days, and quite honestly no vote should be…Certainly, voting to cut programs is not always fun, but we have to make those tough decisions, even when it hits home.

“It’s easy for people to say ‘No’ or to poke holes in why a cut or a change in spending is bad...it’s much harder to say yes, but it takes us saying yes to get us out of this difficult time. We have the obligation to tackle this crisis and there will be some shared pain along the way.”

In an earlier email he had said, “The bill itself does not specify the elimination of the Governor’s Horse Guard. It is up to the military to determine where the savings can be found.” He also expressed a concern for the horse guard. “The Second Company Governor’s Horse Guard is a tremendous organization that has served the state for more than 200 years. The spirit with which each member serves is admirable.”

Alluding to comments in his later email, Rep Lyddy said, “I am also deeply concerned about people’s ability to pay their mortgages, to feed their families and to sustain employment. We need to be sure that we do everything in our power to protect jobs, funding to municipalities, and ensure that people’s basic needs are being met. This means that most programs are going to have to give a little.

“We have cut over $3 billion in spending, we have fought hard to protect funding to municipalities… We will continue to look for savings and spending cuts and will move into a full court press to ensure the administration is actively pursuing the federal funding our communities deserve.”

He also noted the state’s statutes that Rep Hovey had mentioned, “For the time being we can count on the fact that the Horse and Foot Guards are defined in statute and, therefore, they are in a sense protected that way. We need to work with the military department, the administration and the guards to figure out the best course of action.”