South Carolina budget cuts target education and health care: 25% cuts

[Hannah Bell]

The South Carolina legislature last week approved a $4.9 billion state budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The budget includes huge cuts in education, AIDS funding, and other social programs and includes no tax or fee increases. The budgetary cuts are part of a nationwide austerity policy being implemented in states across the country, cutting programs on which working people depend while preserving the profits of the wealthy corporations.

The bill will next make its way to the office of Republican Governor Mark Sanford, who will have the power to veto specific provisions before the bill is executed July 1.

The budget, which would place spending at $4.9 billion, represents a reduction of more than 25 percent compared to the 2006-2007 budget of $6.658 billion.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/jun2010/scar-j09.shtml

25% cuts

if this is a foretaste, we're in for true austerity, continuing recession-cum-depression, & more job losses & real estate declines.

[Bitwit1234]

1. Why in the world do they cut education??????????

All over the world countries are out pacing us in education. We won't be able to find an energy alternative, stop global warming, new cures for diseases. What in the hell is wrong with these republican governors. Like Mob Boss Christie in NJ and Back woods McDonnell in Viginia.

[Hannah Bell]

2. because capital needs more money, & education is going to be their next profit center

via which they can suck the taxpayers' dry, borrow more money for financial bubbles, & conduct covert ops on the taxpayers' dime.

not to mention develop faceless international education chains totally unresponsive to local concerns. which will be listed on the stock market, another source of skimming from the rubes.

let me count the freaking ways.

[dgibby]

5. And, of course, a dumbed down population is easire to manipulate. n/t

[donco6]

3. Ultimately, they want parents to pay for their own children.

No more collective support of public education at all.

[MichiganVote]

4. Exactly right.