Trio Of Governors Beg Congress For Up To $276B In Aid

[babylonsister]

Governors press Congress for state fiscal relief

With revenues sagging, governors press for state fiscal relief in upcoming stimulus bill

ANDREW TAYLOR
AP News

Dec 11, 2008 13:10 EST


A trio of governors came to Capitol Hill on Thursday to plead with lawmakers for relief from crushing state fiscal woes caused by a huge slump in revenues as the recession deepens.

Governors across the country have already pared payrolls, delayed infrastructure and cut aid to municipal government. In testimony before the House Appropriations Committee, Wisconsin Democrat Jim Doyle, New Jersey Democrat Jon Corzine and Vermont Republican Jim Douglas say they're looking at cratering tax revenues. That means even bigger — and far more painful — cuts are coming.

Doyle told lawmakers that he's facing a $5.4 billion, 17 percent budget gap in his upcoming fiscal plan. That's on top of a 10 percent cut already made to Wisconsin's state workforce.

Corzine says governors could use up to $100 billion to help with day-to-day operating costs, in addition to a recent $40 billion request over two years to help fund the Medicaid program for the poor and disabled and up to $136 billion for infrastructure projects like road and bridge repair.

Without help, the governors said, the cuts to state services and infrastructure projects would take money out of the economy, deepening recession.

"We will be forced to cut the very tools and services that people depend on to pull them out of recession," Doyle said

more...

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/12/governors_press_congress_for_s.php

[bluestateguy]

1. That's fine, but no money for South Carolina and Alabama

Not until their senators get with the program on the auto rescue bill.

[truedelphi]

3. It's especially telling that those two states don't want the Big Three helped

Both those states have Toyota plants, right?

[lapfog_1]

2. Wisconsin, New Jersey, Vermont...

and they want $276 B... and what period would that last... one year?

What happens when California shows up, hat in hand? Michigan? Illinois? New York? Florida?

[Mike 03]

4. Finally, a good investment idea: money printing presses. NT