Neediest Hit Hardest By State Budget Cuts

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Washington Post   |   Keith B. Richburg, Ashley Surdin   |   March 31, 2008 08:01 AM

Read More: Budget Cuts, Energy Bills, Health Care Costs, Property Taxes, Real Estate Transfer Taxes, Recession, State Budgets, Subprime Mortgage Crisis, Tax Revenue, Weak Economy, Breaking Business News
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In California's San Fernando Valley, Everardo Orozco, 53, who has AIDS, exhausted his medical benefits and can no longer afford the drugs that are keeping him alive.

"I don't know which ones I can afford every month," Orozco said, explaining how his supply is dwindling and his share of the payments has skyrocketed from $400 to $3,200 per month. He now injects himself with some medications once a day instead of twice -- not enough to keep his T-cell count from dropping or to prevent his body from becoming resistant to treatment. And he fears that there will be more cuts.

State budgets have been hit hard by a worsening national economy, including rising costs for energy and health care. In addition, fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis -- declining home sales, deflated property values and mounting foreclosures -- has caused a slide in states' anticipated tax receipts. Revenue from property taxes, sales taxes and real estate transfer taxes is affected.

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- ceasenake See Profile I'm a Fan of ceasenake permalink

Of course the "needy" are hardest hit. If you're not "needy" what do you NEED from the state government?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:38 AM on 04/01/2008
- swift_goat_pet_for_truth See Profile I'm a Fan of swift_goat_pet_for_truth permalink

It is obvious that what the states need to do to get more money is to immediately implement massive tax cuts for the incredibly rich. Also cut taxes to its richest corporations.

Then they need to remove all forms of oversight to any financial institutions. In fact, all oversight should be removed from all businesses, like food and drug safety.

After this, state home ownership should rocket to an all time high, and tax revenues will pour in like hitting three cherries at the slot machine.

Everyone in the world knows this, except the libs.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:56 PM on 03/31/2008
- speakingtruth2power See Profile I'm a Fan of speakingtruth2power permalink


Is there anyone still out there who denies that there is class warfare afoot?

The anti-liberal prejudice that started with Reagan was just one of many of

the tools employed by GHWB on his way to destroy democratic pluralism ,

remaking America to the virtual reality of the Norte American Fascist Union.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:30 PM on 03/31/2008
- aigeanta See Profile I'm a Fan of aigeanta permalink

How about an immediate independent audit of the state budget to slash all the worthless $100,000 salaried hogs and give that money to the neediest. What the hell is the point of a state if it lets people in its care die?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:28 PM on 03/31/2008
- robinhood1 See Profile I'm a Fan of robinhood1 permalink

Instead of trying to pass a Federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, Congress should have tried to pass an amendment giving states greater power to reduce bloated government employee pensions. Public safety employees in California who work a lot of overtime in their final year of a 30 year career can often retire with annual pensions of over $100,000. In Vallejo, I think one guy retired with a pension of over $300,000 based on his 2006 compensation posted on the Internet a while back. Do we start closing libraries so retired policemen and firemen can continue to collect their bloated pensions? I guess the Democrats are afraid to antagonize the public employee unions and the Republicans don't care if poor gays start dropping like flies because they can no longer afford their AIDS medications. A pox on both political parties.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:59 PM on 03/31/2008
- dadw5boys See Profile I'm a Fan of dadw5boys permalink

The States jumped on this FALSE property value increase like VAMPIRES sucking the tax payers dry.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:52 AM on 03/31/2008
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