Tired of no specifics from deficit hawks? A GOP governor shows the way. Florida's Rick Scott is telling his state exactly what he would cut. If it is a model for what spending cutters in Washington would do, you can see why they dodge giving out details.
Here are some of the losers with Gov. Scott's cutbacks: "Public schools and universities; health care for the poor and disabled; nursing-home services for the elderly; prisons, courts and other government services used by millions of Floridians" (Orlando Sentinel, 2/6).
Public employee pensions are also in his crosshairs. There is even talk Scott would release prisoners and privatize prison health care to save money.
More cutting is needed under Scott's plan because he wants to lower taxes for corporations and property owners. This in a state that already has no individual income tax?
Scott might get much of what he wants from a GOP-dominated legislature. But even his party leaders are calling it a heavy lift. Tea Party activisits must like it though. Scott previewed his cuts this week at their rallies.
If this is what the Tea Party and other fiscal conservatives want from Capitol Hill you can see why lawmakers would rather stick with rhetoric and symbolic cuts. And why they are producing plans that Deficit Commission Co-chair Alan Simpson calls a "sparrow belch in the midst of the typhoon."
Craig blogs daily for CQ Roll Call
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Not a pretty picture.
Budget balanced...
There's no Republicans or Democrats, just the haves and the haves not. Return to pre-Bush tax rates and the federal budget will be balanced; stop the wars at the same time and there would be a surplus. Fix the Unfair Trade agreements and there will be jobs for Americans. Democrats and Republicans alike are playing us for schmucks.
The problem is the majority of voters who are showing up at the voting booths are schmucks because they are voting against their own interests. Let's see how it works out for them in Florida.
Obviously a real believer in democracy here.....
there are 2 kinds of Republicans - Millionaires & Suckers
Other than that, I totally agree with you.
Every single economist has said that the current practice of the federal government borrowing 40 cents of every dollar it spends is UNSUSTAINABLE. Most agree that the federal government cannot account for more than 18% of the GDP without it hurting the future growth necessary to produce jobs for a growing population.
CUTS have to be made. Raising taxes won't cover these deficits, because by doing so we will destroy growth. Government is an overhead expense - not a revenue generator. If government generated revenue, the USSR would still be with us.
What people want to know is, why are conservatives unwilling to contribute their share to the cuts? Why is it only liberal programs that have to be cut?
"Two-thirds of the reductions that Mr. Obama will claim are from cuts in spending, including in many domestic programs that he supports. Among the reductions for just the next fiscal year, 2012, which starts Oct. 1, are more than $1 billion from airport grants and nearly $1 billion from grants to states for water treatment plants and similar projects. Public health and forestry programs would also be cut.
Home energy assistance to low-income families and community service block grants would be cut in half, and an initiative to restore the Great Lakes’’ environmental health would be reduced by one-quarter."
The most vulnerable get hit with these heating assistance cuts while the wealthy stiill get Bush's tax cuts and feel warm and cozy with nothing deleted from their lives. For those of you who thought this was BS and only a rumor when published at HP the other day, keep on giving out those free passes. Let’s see how much they keep those left frozen out warm.
I doubt salary demand will be higher as Mr. Scott is planning to cut unemployment from 26 weeks to 20 weeks, with more stringent criteria, and that is only after the individual passes a drug test. (He really has high regards for his constituency.)
The vultures will come down for the luxurious tax breaks and then skim a little to the government that made all this possible.
However Rick Scott is taking to a whole new level.