This is just the tip of the ice berg. You have to add in DayCare, Family's First DHS, the DOT, and the schools, especially higher ED. THere is $58M in this budget for NEEDLESS sports related items at colleges whining about budget cuts. A half a million for a golf cart crossing and a golf practice area, $19.3M for a new swimming pool for one of the colleges. $1M for a tennis court, $1M for a sports museum. $25M for a parking garage for the grizzlies. The U of Memphis is whining about cuts to research programs...they have $38M in this budget for two buildings. $16M for a performing arts center and $22M for renovations to another building. There is $1M for the country music hall of fame, over $2M for the State musuem. Over $3M for PBS who wants an additional $6.5M to go digital. (which it would take that amount to do Memphis alone (hubby did a stint as a public tv broadcast engineer an that is his opinion, especially since he deals in radio transimitter sites)
Tennessee has a SPENDING PROBLEM.
NO STATE GOVERNMENT CAN KEEP UP WITH AN ADDITIONAL $1BILLION IN NEW SPENDING A YEAR.
And....just last week a big news article about a 50c a pack increase in the cigarette tax to help fund ....God knows what new spending. And there was the lottery. And there have been tax increases and fees and ....
You know the story. The POLITICIANS will continue to spend and continue to create crises designed to get more cash. There is no end to their appetite for more money.