Election-year politics has state budgets in limbo

Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 8/6/10 | Karen Pierog and Jim Christie

[NormsRevenge]

CHICAGO/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Election politics is hobbling the budget process in states like Illinois more than usual this year, as lawmakers try to square dire government balance sheets with voter resistance to spending cuts and tax increases.

The outcome of this fine balancing act could shift control of more state legislatures to the Republicans after the November 2 vote, dealing a major setback to President Barack Obama and his once-resurgent Democratic Party.

The stakes are no higher than in Obama's home state of Illinois, a political bellwether and the industrial and financial heart of the U.S. Midwest. The state, however, is in the worst financial shape in its history.

With all 118 state representatives and 35 percent of senators up for election, Illinois' Democrat-controlled General Assembly chose not to anger constituents with tax increases or massive spending cuts as they sought to deal with a $13 billion budget deficit heading into fiscal 2011.

Instead, it sent Governor Pat Quinn a budget full of undetermined cuts and one-time revenue measures, including debt sales and a reliance on yet-to-be approved federal Medicaid funds.

[NormsRevenge]

Well, we know whose interests the powers that be are looking after now, don't we?

Egos and power trips continue to screw the common folk... and the lamebrain media plays along with an agenda that wreaks havoc thruout the economy.

Some ideas.. Proven winners.

Cut spending and programs.

Quit over taxing and regulating the beejeezus out of businesses of all sizes.

OH, Get the heck out of our personal affairs , our bedrooms and our pocketbooks and stop allowing thugs in black robes to overturn the peoples vote..

In other words, try representing the people for a change and not special interest groups.

btw, the TEA Party is not a 'special interest' in my book , it's the right 'tool' in the Survival Guide of Life ... so let's not go there. ;-]

[NormsRevenge]

Gridlock can be a good thing.

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I heard a top of the hour news snip that 40 million are on food stamps.. that’s almost a 1/7th of the nation.. wow

States that are pleading&waiting for a bail-out, make sure ya bring your own toilet paper.. It’s gonna be a long wait.

[NormsRevenge]

Meanwhile..

U.S. President Barack Obama highlights his administration's job creation
initiatives during his visit to Gelberg Signs in Washington, August 6, 2010.
REUTERS/Jason Reed

[NormsRevenge]

Hey, Michelle! Michelle! Uhhhh.

Oh, that's right .. She's in Spain..

President Barack Obama sits in the driver's seat of a 2011 Ford Explorer as he tours the Ford Motor Company Chicago Assembly Plant August 5, 2010. REUTERS/Jason Reed

[NormsRevenge]

US First Lady Michelle Obama(L) is driven to the entrance of the hotel Villa Padierna in Marbella, Spain, where she and her her nine-year-old daughter Sasha will stay for a vacation. (AFP/Jorge Guerrero)

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Elections have consequences?

So do vacations. Bon Appetit!

[NormsRevenge]

How’s your state doing?

Seriesly. :-}

California is down about 20 billion and the budget is only a month overdue

[esoxmagnum]

I just read a couple weeks ago that here in Illinois, they passed an 11% raise for the state employees. That angered the state employees, because they were told it was going to be 18%, they were reporting it as a 7% pay cut. That’s Obamanomics. How an 11% pay raise, can be construed as a 7% pay cut is beyond me.

In any event, like everywhere else, they are going to lay off firemen and ambulances first, then cops, then teachers. No laying off the pigs at the gub’mint teet.

Oh well, they all have dem unions anyhow, so it don’t really matter to me. Lay em all off, lay em all off so there are no more cops and fireman and teachers, and maybe some of these voters will get a clue.

[Steelers6]

But the Governor from Austria, which is where he should return when his term ends and Moonbeam are focused like a laser on homosexual marriage.

We can’t do our job so lets attack the voters. One can only hope their Judgement Day will get to be seen by all those who have suffered under their reign of terror.