So what's your state doing to close it's budget deficits?

[XZeroII]

In WI they are just raising fees and taxes on everything. Basically our governor would make Ahnuld look like Stephen Hawking.

 

[Patranus]

Borrowing from county and city governments.........ya.........I know

 

[sao123]

PA legislators arent even negotiating a budget... their sitting around a table talking about how they should talk about a budget.

if anyone watched todays PCN boardcast... it was utterly disgusting.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: sandorski
What if "Cutting Spending" is not an option? aka, everything has already been cut to the bone.

I'd be curious to see an example of this. If it has happened, then my hat is off to them (whoever they are) for actually cutting spending.

 

[MotF Bane]

Originally posted by: sandorski
What if "Cutting Spending" is not an option? aka, everything has already been cut to the bone.

Hasn't happened.

 

[Wreckem]

Texas will have to get back to you in 2011. It closed its gap this year with federal stimulus money.

For 2011, either the economy picks back up in time for that Legislative session. They tap the rainy day fund to make ends meet(It will be around $10billion by 2011). Or they slash a shit ton of spending. Maybe a combination of all 3.

 

[PokerGuy]

Originally posted by: sandorski
What if "Cutting Spending" is not an option? aka, everything has already been cut to the bone.

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah. :laugh:

I'd love to see the government that has managed to cut spending to the point where there is no waste that can be trimmed. Heck, show me governments that actually effectively cut spending over time. Not cut spending as in "increase spending by less than planned", but actually cut spending over a few years. Even that doesn't exist.

 

[JD50]

Originally posted by: MotF Bane

Originally posted by: sandorski
What if "Cutting Spending" is not an option? aka, everything has already been cut to the bone.

Hasn't happened.

Agreed.

 

[Medellon]

Texas is doing pretty well comparatively speaking. Probably because we don't have a bunch of liberals destroying our state.

 

[PokerGuy]

Originally posted by: Medellon
Texas is doing pretty well comparatively speaking. Probably because we don't have a bunch of liberals destroying our state.

Too bad the destruction is at the federal level, so Texas will not be spared.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Originally posted by: shiner
Here's a perfect example of government think...

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority announced a couple of weeks ago that use of the turnpikes is down due to the economy and the cost of using the turnpikes. As a result they are falling short on their funding and won't have the money needed for upkeep on the turnpikes.

Makes sense......but

Their solution to make up for the shortfall is to raise the turnpike rates by 50%.


I'm sure when use continues to fall they will raise the rates again.

Bunch of fucking morons.

They're doing that here in dallas too. Um dipshits, people aren't using the tollways because it's getting to expensive. LOWER your prices to attract more drivers.
Then they complain that they can't get fee's from out of state cars because they can't access the licence plate info to send them bills, meanwhile they got rid of all the toll booths and made it "zipcash" where you just drive through it takes a pic of your plate and they mail you a bill.
The idiocy of people is amazing.

 

[BigJelly]

WI:

We had a $6 billion dollar deficit so naturally our democratically controlled state increased spending by 6% ($3.6 billion) and dramatically raised taxes and fees.

Republicans = spend and borrow
Democrates = tax more, borrow more, and spend far more
Conservatives = cut spending, limit government, and stop borrowing

Real conservatives need to take back the republican party in 2010

 

[miniMUNCH]

Originally posted by: Ronstang

Originally posted by: Evan
CA needs to change its constitution so we can tax all the rich people getting huge transfers of wealth from mom/pop they didn't earn. Would make up for all the people at the bottom getting welfare checks "they didn't earn".

So rich people will do what the already do...have multiple residences in multiple states with the one in CA not being their permanent one. That is how rich people avoid CA's stupid taxes. Either that or they will simply move out of state. I have some very close family friends with tons of money who have houses in Portland, San Diego, London England, and Houston......guess which one is their permanent one? They only live here the minimum amount per year to keep residence status and pay no income tax in CA.

People think taxing the rich is 'an easy thing to do'. It is not. We have to understand that we in a global competition for the tax dollars of corporations and the wealthy. Raising taxes on the rich may actually drop revenue.

Most of the rich are pretty smart and almost ALL of the ultra rich already off-shore an appreciable amount of their wealth. Raising taxes will only encourage them to offshore more of their assets.

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: CPA
Hey, I got a novel idea: Cut spending you morons!

Yup, move to California the land of liberals, you morons. We cut spending. We had a deficit so that's what we did. Simple.

Too bad the conservative states can't figure that out.

 

[MovingTarget]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: sandorski
What if "Cutting Spending" is not an option? aka, everything has already been cut to the bone.

I'd be curious to see an example of this. If it has happened, then my hat is off to them (whoever they are) for actually cutting spending.

On a smaller scale, here's an example not too far from me:

Jefferson County, AL

The state as a whole has made cutbacks in many different places. The Jefferson County example is what would happen if the shit really hit the fan.

 

[bobsmith1492]

Well I think the plan here in Michigan is to stop fixing the roads. Soon everything will be gravel again.

... except for the ones Obama just fixed with the recovery act thingy. They'll catch up in a couple of years, though.

 

[LunarRay]

Gee... cut spending, cut this cut that... raise taxes... that is all well and good but there is an alternative...

Insist the Central Government there in DC... do its job and invest in the various states to create JOBS.... yes... debt finance (LT) create rapid transit, green this or that, etc... Pour money into the areas that need it... big time.. get folks to work... Last I heard Folks are who pay taxes to fund the operations of necessity.... overseen by our State ummm.. officials...

 

[SigArms08]

Originally posted by: bobsmith1492
Well I think the plan here in Michigan is to stop fixing the roads. Soon everything will be gravel again.

... except for the ones Obama just fixed with the recovery act thingy. They'll catch up in a couple of years, though.

And we're also on track to release sex offenders from state prisons and to take on the prisoners of other states. Granholm and Co. really have "blown us away" throughout the past five years.

 

[lanwild]

Lawmakers must retain some moral integrity, instead of proposing ideas like legalizing marijuana or sports betting. These injunctions were long upheld for a purpose, i.e., to prevent Americans from acting frivolously and selfishly.

It's prudent for states to cut costs where it's reasonable. Cutting several days from the school year, for example, won't disadvantage students, but will force teachers and administrators work harder. Working harder is what it takes when cuts need to be made.

I certainly don't like to pay higher sales tax, or property tax, but where I can give to retain decency in America, I will. I have faith in our legistators to spend less, and to stop diminishing values of what most Americans know is innately moral.

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: lanwild

Lawmakers must retain some moral integrity, instead of proposing ideas like legalizing marijuana or sports betting. These injunctions were long upheld for a purpose, i.e., to prevent Americans from acting frivolously and selfishly.

There's nothing morally wrong with legalizing marajuana. In fact, it was legal until the early 1900's, and in California, there's a new push to legalize it and tax it as a revenue source in the same way alcohol is treated. And of course, there's the matter of its medical uses.

I don't like sports sports betting, but that's my personal take on it. I think the biggest problem with sports betting is that it's so blatantly subject to corruption, both among players and those running the gambling operation, and, within that context, it most victimizes those who can afford it the least.

If you want to talk about gambling that is totally corrupt and parasitic, talk about casino gambling where there isn't even an issue of whether one team of human players is superior to another at the game, itself. It's all a numbers game, and it's all rigged in favor of the house.

 

[villageidiot111]

I live in North Dakota, and we have a massive surplus. I think we're throwing a party or something...

 

[IronWing]

Our fair legislature (AZ) is facing the multi-billion dollar deficit head on by cutting income taxes on corporations and high income individuals and permanently abolishing the state property tax. They plan to make up the revenue losses by asking the voters to approve an increase in the sales tax in November. Meanwhile they plan to spend as if the sales tax hike is a done deal. There is a reason I think of Republicans as corrupt, greedy, immoral dumbasses.

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: LunarRay
Gee... cut spending, cut this cut that... raise taxes... that is all well and good but there is an alternative...

Insist the Central Government there in DC... do its job and invest in the various states to create JOBS.... yes... debt finance (LT) create rapid transit, green this or that, etc... Pour money into the areas that need it... big time.. get folks to work... Last I heard Folks are who pay taxes to fund the operations of necessity.... overseen by our State ummm.. officials...

I was wondering, LR, if we couldn't just deficit spend to buy the whole world, and then when we owned everything just default on the debt. We would have everything and everybody else would be screwed.

 

[bozack]

Sales Tax went up from 5% to 6.25%

http://www.wbur.org/2009/06/29/state-budget-2

I live close enough to NH to shop there for the bigger items.

Also they are taxing booze for the first time....change we can count on

 

[IronWing]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam

Originally posted by: LunarRay
Gee... cut spending, cut this cut that... raise taxes... that is all well and good but there is an alternative...

Insist the Central Government there in DC... do its job and invest in the various states to create JOBS.... yes... debt finance (LT) create rapid transit, green this or that, etc... Pour money into the areas that need it... big time.. get folks to work... Last I heard Folks are who pay taxes to fund the operations of necessity.... overseen by our State ummm.. officials...

I was wondering, LR, if we couldn't just deficit spend to buy the whole world, and then when we owned everything just default on the debt. We would have everything and everybody else would be screwed.

That's exactly what the Chinese are afraid we are going to do. Except instead of defaulting, we're going to let the dollar collapse.