State Governors: "you can't tell if it's a Republican or Democrat, a conservative or a liberal'

[Better Believe It]

Governors marching in step over budget woes
'A lot of times, you can't tell if it's a Republican or Democrat, a conservative or a liberal'
By MONICA DAVEY
January 17, 2011

The dismal fiscal situation in many states is forcing governors, despite their party affiliation, toward a consensus on what medicine is needed going forward.

The prescription? Slash spending. Avoid tax increases. Tear up regulations that might drive away business and jobs. Shrink government, even if that means tackling the thorny issues of public employees and their pensions.

“The rhetoric has grown very similar,” said Scott D. Pattison, executive director of the nonpartisan National Association of State Budget Officers. “A lot of times, you can’t tell if it’s a Republican or Democrat, a conservative or a liberal.”

This class of governors arrives in a wave of Republican victories in the 2010 elections for state legislatures and governorships, a trend that may be affecting everyone’s approach. Even in states where the fiscal struggles have been less pronounced, new governors are sounding warnings and talking, again and again, of waste, frugality, simplicity, shared sacrifice and painful choices.

Read the full article at:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41114874/ns/politics-the_new_york_times/