$80M in cuts coming to Ohio agency for poor

[The Straight Story]

$80M in cuts coming to Ohio agency for poor
ASSOCIATED PRESS

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The state agency in Ohio that administers food stamps and health care for low-income families is cutting nearly $80 million from its budget.

Records obtained by The Associated Press show the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is cutting back on a prescription drug program for the poor and seniors, money to detect Medicaid fraud, and a state-federal program that tries to move people from welfare to work.

The moves are being made to comply with Gov. Ted Strickland’s request that most state agencies cut 4.75 percent from their budgets to help address a projected budget deficit of $540 million.

Department spokesman Dennis Evans says the agency was largely able to avoid cuts with an impact on Ohioans in a previous budget reduction. But the agency couldn’t do that this time around.

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080924/NEWS24/809240198

[Naturyl]

1. But we can afford $700 Billion for Wall Street. (n/t)

[hughee99]

3. The State of Ohio is bailing out Wall Street? n/t

[Naturyl]

4. Yes, along with the other 49. (n/t)

[rucky]

2. Section 8's already dry here.

Why is this shit always the first to get cut? And under a Democratic governor?@!

[hfojvt]

5. Does that mean their current budget is $1.7 billion?

:wow: Wow.

All of this comes from the "don't ever raise taxes" philosophy. Democrat Jay Nixon of Missouri is running for Governor as a tax-cutter and attacking his opponent for increasing taxes. Democrats running for the legislature in my state talk about "how to cut the budget" because of revenue shortfalls. CTJ estimates that a mere 1% tax increase on people with incomes over $100,000 would raise $176 million dollars and only impact the top 9.1% of taxpayers, and yet even in the campaign it is already "off the table" and instead we will be cutting spending (services and jobs) which will only make the recession worse.

Also, the Kansas Tax Incidence Study from March 2006 calculates that Kansas current taxes are very regressive. Households making $15- 25,000 pay a 12% tax rate, those making $25- 35,000 pay 10.5%, those making $35 - 50,000 pay 9.3% and those making over $100,000 pay only 7.6%. Ohio is probably similarly regressive.