Ex-House Speaker James Amann pitched in to help our growing budget deficit by not taking a $120,000 patronage job from his successor Tuesday saying Speaker Chris Donovan, D-Meriden, didn’t deserve the controversy in the early days of his stewardship.  The bizarre day began with Amann telling a local radio show that he was reconsidering the offer, which was publicly released late Friday night to universal scorn and condemnation from Connecticut Republicans, the Hartford Courant and the Connecticut Post.

“Maybe people have the perception it’s a no show job,” Amann said. He said people may think “I’ll just be running for governor and collecting a check.”

Why would anyone entertain that thought?

After putting the interests of the state first, Amann walked into the Capitol Press room and announced he would search for work elsewhere.

“I am not a rich man, I have to work for a living,” Amann said, according to CT New Junkie. Amann said Donovan had offered a part-time job at $60,000 to be an advisor to the Speaker. Only at the State Capitol can you get paid that much money to be around for 20 hours. The painful explanation by Donovan is one for the books, saying Amann’s multiple responsibilities as a candidate for Governor, a fundraiser for a private charity and his chief advisor might have been too much for any man.

“I regret that Jim will not be joining our team in the Speaker’s office, but understand his decision. He and I had a chance to discuss these matters at length yesterday and again today, and it became clear that his sense of the demands of his political work differed from mine to an extent that it made employment in my office unrealistic,” Donovan said.

Amann’s decision came moments before Gov. Rell announced what many had feared that the December and January tax receipts plummeted, leaving Connecticut with a $922 million budget deficit for this year, ending June 30th. Business, income and sale tax collections were all off and below projections. The new number takes into account the $171 million the Legislature cut last week, half of what Gov. Rell was seeking from the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Income tax payments due January 15 were off 20 percent from projections and if the treadline continues will result in a $665 million shortfall this year. As of December 15, 2008, corporate taxes are off $100 million and sales tax are off by $50 million.

Maybe now with Donovan’s mind relieved of having to decide how best to use Jim Amann, he can focus on the sinking fiscal ship of Connecticut. One has to wonder at what point will the Democrats understand the seriousness of the situation and stop playing games with Gov. Rell – who has laid out options and ideas, but has found only lip service in return.

Photo: Christine Stuart, CT NewsJunkie