What Alabama's Low-Tax Mania Can Teach the Rest of the Country

[kskiska]

MONTGOMERY, Ala.

The budget ax is swinging in Alabama, and the carnage is piling up. A hundred and fifty fewer low-income AIDS patients will receive life-saving medicines from the state. Fifteen thousand low-income Alabamians may lose their hypertension drugs.

High Hopes, a program that offers after-school tutoring to students who fail the high school graduation exam, is being slashed. And up to 1,500 poor children and adults with Down syndrome, autism and other disabilities will not be able to attend a state-supported special-needs camp.

The cuts are reaching down to core government functions. The court system is laying off 500 of 1,600 workers, from clerk's office employees to probation officers. The health department is losing investigators who track tuberculosis, and sharply reducing restaurant inspections.

Alabama's huge budget gap is a result of the voters' rejection, nearly six weeks ago, of Gov. Bob Riley's tax reform plan, which would have generated an additional $1.2 billion, much of it from undertaxed timberland. After the vote, Governor Riley was forced to cut most state agencies by 18 percent, and other recipients of state funds by 75 percent. Bad as things are, the impact is being blunted by a fortuitous one-time injection of federal funds. Next year agencies are bracing for a 56 percent hit. If the state cannot find more revenue — and Governor Riley is searching — it may be nearly impossible for basic services, including courts, prisons and police, to operate.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/20/opinion/20MON3.html

[Liberal Veteran]

1. And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother?

9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

[The Zanti Regent]

2. Cain acted as a Supply-Sider!

Hey, you got to give him marks for creativity, after all, he reduced competition!

[Liberal Veteran]

5. True...I suppose. God wasn't overly impressed with Cain's iniative.

One of the first lessons from the bible oddly enough was the story of Cain and Abel. Who do the neocons and self-proclaimed righteous men of today remind you of?

[Larkspur]

28. Remember God favored unfairly Abel

who was a shepherd, like the Israelites. Cain was a farmer, like the Cannanites, who were displaced by the Israelites.

The Cain and Abel story has racist connotations to it.

God, the great CEO in the sky, played favorites. He preferred sheep to grain.

[saigon68]

23. I'll bet the Bastards are building lots of NEW PRISONS though

To keep the poor and "darkies" locked up </Sarcasm>

My apology for the racial reference---but---This state still has one of the worse records for minority incarceration-- somewhere around 50%.

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. You get what you pay for

"it may be nearly impossible for basic services, including courts, prisons and police, to operate."

Those bible beaters had a chance to save themselves a couple of months ago, but they were too greedy and voted down a modest tax increase. Let them go to work for Wallmart now. Wallmart will save them. I don't have to tell them to go to hell now, as they are already there.

[salin]

9. It is the danger of placing extreme political beliefs equal to theology

The policitization of many churches has included warping the bible to somehow equate with extreme conservative economic principles. Sadly, these same churches that have politicized their pulpit, often work to squash independent thought. Thus the disconnect between consequences of political policy and reality - were blurred. Sadly it is not clear if the extreme reality and hardships placed upon some families, related to "popular" (based on vote) view of policy, will wake enough folks up to the danger of placing political views (secular) along with religious ones - especially when the message from the radical (but given mouthpiece via media) religious right is a message that promote the curtailing of all necessary services to the public.

[Lindacooks]

You know, I thought of a new nickname

for the extreme right-wing southern states. Instead of the Bible Belt, they should be known as the Bigot Belt.

[Lugnut]

4. Why....

Can't some people understand that if you want services you need to fund them? Probably the same people who forget that they are the government.

[Resistance Is Futile]

14. This might explain it....

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/16/business/16SCEN.html

Cloudy Thinking on Tax Cuts
By ALAN B. KRUEGER

CONSERVATIVE and liberal political commentators alike have wondered why most Americans have enthusiastically supported two of the largest tax cuts in history even though most benefits will flow to upper-income families. Adding to the conundrum, in public opinion surveys Americans routinely express support for spending more on government programs like education, opposition to government budget deficits, and disappointment that the gap in income between rich and poor has widened — all of which are in conflict with regressive tax cuts.

In the most extensive analysis yet available, Larry Bartels, a political scientist at Princeton University, gives a simple but persuasive explanation: 'unenlightened self-interest.' Middle- and lower-income Americans supported tax cuts they suspected went largely to the rich because they thought they, too, would benefit, if only by a small amount, and because they failed to connect the tax cuts to rising inequality, their future tax burden, or the availability of government services.

Professor Bartels analyzed a small battery of questions added to the National Election Survey, a poll of 1,500 people interviewed in the six weeks before the November 2002 election, and again in the month after the election. The survey turned up some remarkable results, which he reports in 'Homer Gets a Tax Cut: Inequality and Public Policy in the American Mind.' ...

[Mari333]

19. That was a really long article that was nicely saying

there's a LOT of dumb people out there.

[camero]

17. And the fact that

You can't pay your bills if you keep giving away your paycheck.

Same thing happened in Orlando recently. Oh well, I guess they like gridlock.

[DemoTex]

6. Ironically, Alabama is spending millions - per US FED COURT decrees --

... on cases dating back to the late 60's, when George Wallace and the Alabama State Lege refused to recognize the law of the land (the Civil Rights Act). The Ala-Gov cannot cut back the millions and millions that still stream out of the state treasury to support these court-mandated programs. Reynolds, et. al, vs Alabama, case in point.

On the controllable side of the state budget scene, however, Riley, the Christian governor, tried to raise taxes for all the right reasons. They, his Christian constituency, hated and voted against his plan. Meanwhile, Alabama bleeds a slow death. WWJD?

[pretzel4gore]

20. Jesus would have moved

prolly to Canada or somesuch socialistic hell (!)
Ironically, in Canada the realization that social spending cannot be efficient by its very nature: ie: cons and the lazy gonna elbow into line of the deserving regardless of rules....it's the old Good Samaritan dilemna writ large. The Good Samaritan is Good cuz 99percent of time he tries to help someone he gets mugged/robbed himself by fake victim or the 'victim' just a crackhead needing cash! That's why Good Samaritans are so beloved by God; sometimes the person helped really does need it, GS makes sure by willingly risking money/well being to do so....
the xians otoh willingly let a lil child starve to prevent a ablebodied loser from getting a free lunch....

[PurityOfEssence]

7. A Christian, compeled by his faith, tries to do the right thing...

...and look what happens. Much as I have no love for organized religion, one man actually acted upon the essential tenets of his faith to try to right the wrongs of a society based on brutish selfishness (no indictment of Alabama here, that's an indictment of America itself) and will be endlessly punished for it.

Fuck the weak. Fuck the poor. Fuck everybody; that's the credo here.

They fully reject Darwinism, yet embrace Social Darwinism with an elitist scorn that's hardly short of Nazi eugenics. Sick.

[pretzel4gore]

21. maybe the 'spirit' of America

is the spirits of the people who once called it home (the 'indians') and maybe those 'spirits' cause the 'greed=good, kindness=evil' idee fixee to pervert the spirit of American christiantity....(?)
hmmm..something to look into.

[dofus]

8. We're in the process

of becoming a third world country. People don't understand that services are worth having and need to be paid for. Or that public education is important and should be well funded. We're the only first world country without a national health care system. Apparently a lot of people think it's okay for people not to have decent health care. It goes on and on, doesn't it?

[southerngirlwriter]

10. You have NO IDEA how bad it is....

I live in Alabama. One of the biggest hits was to the Mental Health budget. A close friend of mine is married to a paranoid schizophrenic. When he's on his medication, he's FINE -- just as normal as me or you. When he's off it, he's a raving lunatic -- luckily not a dangerous one (to anyone but himself), however his behavior is impossible to control.

My friend is disabled, but had never applied for SSI because of his income (he makes fairly decent money as a manual laborer, but no health insurance). Now she's trying desperately to get it.

Why? Because in a couple of months, they've been notified, he will no longer get his medication from the state of Alabama. The funds just aren't there.

Without the medication, he will be let go from his job. Not because the company are bastards, but because he cannot function on the job. (If you worked as a typist and lost your hands in an accident, they'd HAVE to replace you, no matter how much they liked you. Same thing.)

If she doesn't get disability, they could end up on the streets. Even if she does, it will be very, very difficult.

Why this situation? Because people like my parents' next-door neighbors, who live in a $110,000 house (in this market, that's about 3000 square feet in a good neighborhood) didn't want their property taxes to go up from $310 a year to $585 a year. (My usually VERY conservative parents were persuaded by my arguments, which included scripture, to vote Yes -- their first progressive votes in my lifetime. I was very proud of them.)

Because the timber industry in this state lobbied so hard against the Tax package, it failed. And yet, if the timber companies' taxes were TRIPLED, they would still be the lowest in the US.

Greedy fucking bastards, all of them.

This state isn't going to hell in a handbasket. It IS hell.

The budget cuts are only going to get worse, too. This year, we have a one-time influx of federal money. 2005? Not going to be there.

It's horrifying. Even schools on the ritzy end of my town need basic repair work done. The funds just aren't there.

Conservatism has done such heinous damage to this state.....

it's tragic.

[Nevernose]

11. Welcome to DU, southerngirlwriter!

Alabama doesn't sound like such a great place to be right now...

One of my neo-con friends keeps suggesting that what this country needs is another Great Depression, i.e. "Grapes of Wrath" type stuff. He insists that "then the liberals will know just how bad things can get." Looks like he's getting his wish in Alabama, and will probably be getting it in the other 49 states before long.

[Atlant]

24. That's funny.

> One of my neo-con friends keeps suggesting that what this country
> needs is another Great Depression, i.e. "Grapes of Wrath" type stuff.
> He insists that "then the liberals will know just how bad things can get."

That's funny; I always figured it was Progressives who already knew
"how bad it could get" and it was the "conservatives" who either never
knew or had forgotten.

No matter; I suspect he'll get his wish. 'Hope he's happy then, 'cause
I know that I won't be.

Atlant

[DivinBreuvage]

27. Oh, what delicious irony

"Then the liberals will know just how bad things can get."

Yes, like:

One conservative (Coolidge) helping to bring it about and another (Hoover) sitting around and telling everyone that everything was just fine, no need for the federal government to get involved, it's morning in America, while the unemployment rate climbed to 25% and people were literally starving to death.

Conservative generals stormtrooping homeless veterans who had been cheated of their benefits because the federal government found it too expensive to keep its promises.

Thirty percent of the nation joining the Communist party.

Farmers in the red-state heartland banding together to overturn milk trucks and reclaim repossessed farm equipment at gunpoint.

I'm not sure how anyone can be even vaguely aware of the history of major social crises like the Depression or, more especially, the French or Russian Revolutions and not know that when the dam bursts and the blood starts to flow the first to go to the guillotine and the firing squad are not the poor or the people living paycheck to paycheck.

Of course, maybe what your friend meant was "If you think things are bad NOW, shut up and count your blessings because you ain't seen nothin yet."

If anyone here is up on the Great Depression, I'd be interested in knowing your thoughts on this: what would have happened if the conservatives had kept control of the White House and Congress after 1932?

For beginners to the subject, I'd recommend "The Crisis of the Old Order" by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. as a good starting point.

Françoise

[JackDragna]

13. Dead on.

People should try living in a country where taxes are low and the economic system is slanted in favor of the rich. Crime is rampant, nobody has health care, education is a joke and all citizens live a life of quiet desperation. That's what you're seeing in Alabama and that's what we're all getting across the country.

People simply do not realize that there are some essential government services, both functional and charitable, that must exist for society to function and cannot be entrusted to private interests. All other westernized countries, from Europe to Asia, have better statistics reflecting the health of their society: lower crime, lower infant mortality, lower poverty..the list goes on and on. It's no accident these places have higher taxes and do a better job of looking after their citizens.

I know the U.S. is a big place with a heterogeneous population. Lots of citizens with lots of different needs puts a strain on society. The current system, however, is leading us inevitably towards disaster. Southerngirlwriter's world is going to become everyone's world very soon.

[okieinpain]

12. actually I think that this should happen accross the country.

everybody is screaming about high taxes. well cut out all of the things that those high taxes fund, and maybe we will get some of these people to wake up. especially in the black community, I can't count how many times I've heard they are all alike and that's why I don't waste my time voting.

I say let the greed cut some of the benefits, and then we can go back and ask are they still all the same.

as far as alabama is concerned, hell they don't need benefits, they've got a moral man in the white house bringing dignity back to the office.

[RuB]

15. Fitting that a stupid people would be enamored by a stupid pResident.

The NY Times article is disgusting and a direct indictment of the American media not doing its constitutional duty. The media has blood on its hands.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

16. The REAL reason that Alabama and every other state has horrendous...

...$1 billion+ budget shortfalls is because of the funds that the NeoCons cut from the Federal budget that were earmarked for the states. Those Federal funds have been used for decades to supplement state budgets, and now they no longer exist.

Want to know why the funds were cut? Because of the tax-cut for the very wealthy which reduced tax revenues normally due to the Federal government, and the rapidly rising costs of so-called "war against terror".

Trying to make the middle and low class populations of each state pay more taxes is ludicrous. They just don't have it to spend because of the rising costs of utilities, gasoline, housing, food, healthcare, etc.

But Riley and the NeoCons want everyone to believe that "special interests" were behind the vote against the $1.2 billion tax increase in Alabama. And quite a few continue to believe it. The corporate owned media reported it, so it must be so.

[LizW]

22. Yeah, but Riley's not going to say that, is he?

It's much easier to blame the "wealthy" in Alabama and call them greedy and un-Christian. As if it's only Alabama where this is happening. And as if it's a coincidence that it's happening when Republicans control Congress and the White House.

So we have the poor pointing fingers at the middle class and the middle class pointing fingers at the poor. Just the way the Republicans like it.

[Democat]

18. Arnold wants to turn California into Alabama

Watch and see.

[TahitiNut]

25. Editorial, Moving thread.

[beyurslf]

26. Wouldn't the low income

AIDS patients qualify for the Ryan White funds from the federal government. It is administered by the state but the funds are federal. If they lose the medicines, they may never be able to go back on them even if the funds are there later--the disease builds resistance to meds that are started and stopped. And, it can build resistance to an entire class of drugs, not just the specific drug. There are only 3 classes of AIDS medications available and you take at least 2 classes at once.

[Undemcided]

29. Waste is a huge problem.

Gov. Riley has claimed that if the tax increase did not pass the state would be forced to release 5,000 inmates, reduce care for the elderly, and cut back on medicine for the mentally ill. However, there are plenty of questionable past expenditures in the budget that would indicate cuts could be made elsewhere. These items include: $10 million for a new convention center and hockey arena; $1.5 million for football stadium improvements; $1 million for unused park space; and $71,200 for the Alabama Sports Festival.