Congress unlikely to extend hand to ailing states

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iSQbSnGouFW-eyk3ElbhWLELr-cA?docId=b9252430d82441d980d86e945f7af254

(AP) – 1 day ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Cut spending, raise taxes and fees, and accept billions of dollars from Congress. That's been the formula for states trying to survive the worst economy since the 1930s.

As Republicans prepare to take control of the House and exert more influence in the Senate, it's clear that option No. 3 will soon wither. States will continue to face substantial deficits over the next few years, but they will have to get by with the end of stimulus spending and less financial help from the federal government. In recent interviews, top GOP lawmakers made clear it will be much less. snip

The $814 billion stimulus program, passed by a Democratic Congress and championed by President Barack Obama, was designed to help states provide essential services and give a boost to the economy. Most of the money will run out this year.

States spent the bulk of their money on public schools, higher education and health care, so those programs likely will take a hit this year. But transportation, prisons and services such as early education programs also will not be spared the budget ax, said Todd Haggerty, a policy analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures.

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We sure showed them blue dogs didn't we?

[old mark]

1. Congress seems unlikely to do much of anything that is real over the next few years.

Bullshit will reign supreme.

Yeah, not voting was a great idea, wasn't it?

K&R
mark

[KharmaTrain]

2. Welcome To The Pay-Go World...

The bottom line is the governments...federal and state are broke. The economic collapse means less money coming in on real estate and retail taxes that are driving many states over the edge. A lot of credit to that goes to the booooosh tax cuts that took what were once surpluses in many states into defecits. Add to that the rushpublican game of unfunded mandates and the mess gets even worse.

So where's the cutting going to come from? The military? The GOTB owes its contractor puppetmasters and the Democrats are scared shit of "looking weak on defense" so those billions are off limits...these wars for profit are now considered a "works" program. Don't think about touching corporate welfare...the lobbyists will make sure of that. So where does the money come from?

In a country totally stuck on stupid and self interest its those with the money and clout who will get the money...those who the weakest and unable to stand up for themselves are on their own.