For the US: What is your state doing for the budget shortfall?

[mikey]

Anyway, there was a big Texas Monthly article on the budget shortfall a few months ago, and the author mentions how many agencies need to go away in order to balance the budget. Politically I don't see that happening. Some articles also talk about dipping into the rainy day fund--problem is that that fund won't plug the budget hole.

Gov. Perry will be slow to eliminate ANY jobs, and I can guarantee it is because he is planning a Presidential bid and doesn't want to lose voters. He is trying to cut Texas Medicaid reimbursement drastically. Currently, Texas Medicaid reimburses about 17 cents per dollar billed, and they want to cut it back to about 11 cents. Where I work, the payor mix is just over 80% Medicaid, which means that revenue will fall by about a third. Hospitals will not survive.

[PDilemma]

Nebraska's governor wants to cut funds for education. Sigh.

And pass ridiculous anti-immigration laws that will cost millions to defend in court.

Don't forget that part.

[heo-wikki]

Bah! Education is for them-thar yankees. We don't need no education! Or mental hospitals either, a lot of those in Louisiana are closing, which contributes to our already absurdly high homeless population. What's most depressing is the state shut down the *only* mental health hospital for teens in the southern part of the state, and many of the kiddies in that hospital were from homeless/itenerant families. Even more than education, health care has really taken a beating in Louisiana.

Don't need no drug rehab either or homes for the mentally challenged. Both have been closed in North LA. It is highly likely that the College of Visual and Performing Arts at ULM will be drastically cut aka become non existent.

I'm a state employee (please don't stone me), we are being asked to provide more services with less staff and less money.

[Christina]

We're being asked to do more with less in state agencies. I haven't had even a cost of living pay increase in over 5 years, and now they want to take money out of my pocket to pay into my pension. Which is the main reason I started with the state - it's actually fully funded and employees don't pay into it.

[PrincessLeppard]

And pass ridiculous anti-immigration laws that will cost millions to defend in court.

Don't forget that part.

Yeah. Too bad he was elected in a landslide and thinks he has a mandate. I was not part of the landslide.

[Orable]

Massive tax increase in IL. But we're still screwed

[Karina1974]

We're being asked to do more with less in state agencies. I haven't had even a cost of living pay increase in over 5 years, and now they want to take money out of my pocket to pay into my pension. Which is the main reason I started with the state - it's actually fully funded and employees don't pay into it.

You're not from NY State, are you? Because that's been a major issue in Albany, the public employee unions not wanting to give in and make concessions in order to help lighten the load for their fellow taxpayers. They're talking property tax caps in Albany, and I am all for it, and the NYS United Teachers union, for one, is of course squawking about it. Never mind the fact that NYS is #2 in the nation in school spending but only #34 in results.

All I can say is, welcome to the world of the Private Sector. I haven't had a COLA in 3 years, but at least I still have a job (I actually have two jobs) that I work very hard at (because in the PS we don't have bullshit like "seniority" that prevents the bad apples from being thrown out of the barrel), and am quite willing to cut expenses to keep a roof over my head and a vehicle in my apartment's parking spot, rather than expect my neighbors, friends and family to pay for my lifestyle through the skyhigh taxes we all pay here in NY.

[Christina]

No, I'm not in New York State. One of the reasons that I make less than someone in the private sector, not that my job is done by the private sector, is that I have a pension plan. That was part of the deal when I was hired - do a high stress, thankless job where people regularly threaten to kill me (no I don't have a badge or a gun), and in return I have a pension plan. I took a $10K pay cut when I took my job (coming from the private sector in a different field) partially with the thought that my pension plan would make up for it.

And the bad apples can be let go in my state. They just have to do it in the proper way - document problems, etc. My husband is private sector and he can't fire two people who simply can't do the job because HR won't let him, despite following the writing up policies.

If we had a state income tax, I'd bet that most of our issues would be fixed, but that is the "sacred cow" of politics here. Add that to falling property values, and we're screwed tax wise. I'd love for those who don't currently pay taxes to the State, besides sales tax, to have to pay something.

But perhaps this is best discussed in PI.

[Karina1974]

No, I'm not in New York State.

Consider yourself lucky there. State workers have had a target on their backs ever since the recession started. And Gov. Cuomo is making it clear that he will not be swayed by "special interests" (aka the public employee unions) when it comes to the upcoming budget.

But perhaps this is best discussed in PI.

Yeah, I'm kind of puzzled why this thread isn't in PI.

[milanessa]

Yeah, I'm kind of puzzled why this thread isn't in PI.

I'm puzzled as to why folk think just because a thread isn't about TV shows, music or movies they think it should be in PI.