McDonell expected to unveil budget cuts today

[Blue_Tires]

RICHMOND

Gov. Bob McDonnell's budget-cutting strategy ranges from deep cuts in base funding for public schools to state worker furloughs and eliminating programs to aid the homeless, according to confidential legislative working papers.

The Associated Press on Tuesday obtained a four-page summary assembled by a legislative budget writing committee from briefings senior McDonnell budget advisers gave to committee members and staffs.

McDonnell is expected to outline his plan to trim $2.1 billion from the state budget during a news conference scheduled for 10 a.m. today.

McDonnell spokesman J. Tucker Martin declined to comment on the document late Tuesday.

It is the most detailed accounting yet of the administration's priorities in attempting to reconcile a $4 billion revenue shortfall for state budgets through 2012, and provides the first clear picture of who will suffer the most from McDonnell's proposed cuts.

The document shows that McDonnell wants to cut $730 million in state support to local schools from kindergarten through high school.

The largest bite comes from resetting the funding base to that used in fiscal year 2006, a two-year reduction totaling $225 million. Other cuts to education include $130 million from removing state salary supplements for sports coaches and department chairs, nearly $92 million from eliminating initiatives such as Mentor Teacher and school breakfast programs and nearly $20 million in savings from extending the work lives of school buses.

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/02/mcdonell-expected-unveil-budget-cuts-today

[mrcheerful]

1. So he is going to cut back on education and child safety why am I not

surprised? How much you wanna bet that he will then call for tax cuts for the wealthy big businesses so they will hire more people so welfare can be cut too? Then he will raise police funding to counter the effects of cutting after school programs and kicking folks off welfare when the crime rates surge. Same old con plan.

[Blue_Tires]

2. that's it in a nutshell

and tax breaks for private prisons

[Bitwit1234]

3. I know..I know... he wants to keep the people

in Virginia as ignorant as hell so they will keep voting for republicans.

[WhiteTara]

children don't vote

so they are naturally great targets for budget cuts.

[Hansel]

4. This is the gutless way Republican governors do it.

They know the only way out of this mess is to stop the "no new taxes" pledge, but instead of having the guts or integrity to do what is right they slice programs that they know someone else will raise taxes to keep.

In Minnesota Tim Pawlenty likes to brag that he is a "no new tax" governor. However, it's more that he doesn't have the guts to do what is right, raise taxes on those who can most afford it. So he pawns responsibility off onto local governments. Since tax increases still need to happen they show up in terms of regressive new fees, and sales and property taxes. Any taxes he actually does raise are renamed "fees".

And walla! He can brag he didn't raise taxes, taxpayers get mad at their local governments and he looks like a hero. It's really quite sickening. Of course the main reason Pawlenty did not run for governor again is that he knew he was going to get his ass kicked because he's screwed up this state so bad. But the media will sing his praises on how he kept his pledge not to increase taxes. Pukes.

[Blue_Tires]

5. that's actually how it's done in VA almost every election cycle

give some pie-in-the-sky spiel about more money for schools, roads, jobs, etc., promise to NEVER raise taxes, and get really vague when asked how it's all gonna get funded...

even I would have a betting chance of getting elected, just by sticking to that "script"