[CPOSharky]

And afterwars, how many states will admit that they get along just fine without the laid off workers?

PS Try cutting some of those usless programs along with their people.

[AD from SpringBay]

I would just as soon the states fire a level or two of administrators, but whatever works. American families have to live within a budget, why shouldn't the state and federal governments?

[DeaconBenjamin]

If everything is on the table, let's see a vote on eliminating pensions and benefits for state legislators.

[DeaconBenjamin]

Two tax proposals:

1) Tax advertising. (Media in Arkansas are already mobilizing to oppose any such effort.)

2) Retroactive windfall profits tax on trial lawyers. Make them disgorge 50 percent of all fees paid at a rate higher than $500/hr. Make it retroactive to 1990.

[groanup]

The Wall Street Journal had an article today in which the author asked the question: California has 229,000 workers and in order to cut costs we fire 200 state troopers?

[PolishProud]

Oregon residents, faced with paying higher income taxes in a state with the second-highest unemployment rate in the U.S., chose to fire state troopers instead.

Thousands of state workers and the press cites loss of of troopers. No bias here against buget cut.

[raybbr]

Title should read:

States spend far more over the last five years than they should have.

[expatpat]

Among the worst hit is New York State where Governor George Pataki yesterday proposed eliminating 5,000 of 229,000 state jobs, mostly through attrition.

Big deal! A 2% cut through attrition. They should have worked in the aerospace industry over the years; that's had real cuts!

[dirtydanusa]

Does this mean there will be fewer guy's standing around a manhole watching the low man dig??

[Spruce]

The pendulum swings! Hail and farewell! Now these poor bastards have to actually add to the debit side of the coffers.(if they can)

[Spruce]

Start simple.
The next time you buy shoes, buy American... Redwing shoes

Stop buying Chinese. Pay attention.

[JudgemAll]

The most-populous U.S. state, California, also has the nation's biggest deficit. Governor Gray Davis this month said his plan for $20.7 billion in cuts means that about 2,000 state workers would lose their jobs. Public unions may be able to avoid the cuts provided they renegotiate salaries and other terms, Davis said.

What is that? Each worker cost 10 milions?

I think the deficit has to do with illegal aliens importing services and not paying import tarifs nor income/export taxes on that.

.... and firing 200 state troopers who could bring in ticket and tarif like revenues is not very smart.

[Mudbug]

OK, so this article is about Oregon, but everyone seems to be saying that the states will be in the red this year. I have a pet peeve about collective state economic statistics (and I'd like to see "red and blue" maps showing us where the shortfalls are now, 5 years ago, a decade age. etc.), but this article does make a point.

Here in Louisiana, revenue sources dried up over the past few decades and our corrupt state government did not respond well. As a result our economy is backward (or "counter-cyclical," if you wish to be PC). While I don't belittle the needs of these states, perhaps it's time to let some things go undone.

President Bush has challenged Congress to set some spending priorities. We need to do the same at the state and local level. Conceding that there are "unfunded mandates to the states, I would also challenge the states on "dedicated revenues." This has been a real problem in Louisiana.