Bush policies worsen state finances-Democrats

[Nambe]

WASHINGTON, Aug 2 (Reuters)

Democrats on Saturday said President George W. Bush's economic policies have done little to create jobs and have forced many state and local governments to raise taxes and cut spending for education, public safety and health care.

Virginia Gov. Mark Warner said in the weekly Democratic radio address that while Bush and his Republican allies in Congress voice support for popular education and health care programs, they have not backed it up with federal financing.

"So while the president pats himself on the back for cutting taxes, the hard reality is that his political victory ends up simply passing the burden down to your state and local governments," Warner said. ---

He noted that leading sheet and towel maker Pillowtex Corp. shut all of its 16 plants just this week and terminated thousands of jobs, many in Virginia.

"The administration's tax cut policies offer little for these workers and millions of other men and women like them," Warner said.

[donco6]

1. Here in CO, Gov. Owens is claiming that our economy is . . .

. . . good. What a joke!

"You can learn from Colorado, just as I learned from other states," Owens said, citing the TABOR Amendment as an example of how Colorado has held down taxes, limited the growth of government and improved its economy.

In reality, the TABOR amendment (similar to Prop 13) has caused the state to lose almost $1 billion in revenue forever! Under TABOR, the state can only raise revenue by the rate of inflation plus growth. In times of economic downturn, this causes the revenue floor to drop, and it then has to stay at that lower level until infl/growth increase. It's a fiscal "train wreck", and there is no solution in site.

All services are being cut horrendously, and that on top of our already low level of service. Medicaid, vocational rehab, mental health services, school for deaf and blind, - all being decimated. The only thing saving public schools right now is the fact that the state passed Amendment 23, which formed a separate revenue stream for schools. Of course, this is now being blamed for "causing" the train wreck - completely false, but plays well to Repugs.

The gall of him to claim that our finances are anything to be emulated is shocking!!!

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/politics/article/0,1299,DRMN_35_2154380,00.html

[JackSwift]

2. That's worse than Prop 13

the answer is to have the reform minded in that state do the unthinkable for a year, and pass a budget that only covers the secretary of state's office. The public will then not get any services and redo the constitution.

[donco6]

5. I sometimes wonder it that's what it will take. /eom

[jamesinca]

3. His own people were quoted in the paper

A few weeks ago in the S.F. Chronicle it was quoted by one of the Bush staff that it was good to have states hurt. They needed to learn fiscal responsibility. They needed to learn that the federal government was not there to help states fiscally.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

4. Here in CT,

Governor Rowland, POS, said that he is not at fault fo our budget deficit!

Jackass!!!!!!