tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13209058.post3562990624552473437..comments2023-10-18T06:22:24.290-07:00Comments on Mojave Monitor: Progressive, Goldwater Inst. agree on prison cutsDaniel R. Patterson, Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07774786197579622798noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13209058.post-25829017840779281512008-12-29T15:39:00.000-08:002008-12-29T15:39:00.000-08:00Daniel,Congratulations on your election to the leg...Daniel,<BR/>Congratulations on your election to the legislature. The most intriguing aspect of the GI's suggested cuts are two-fold. <BR/>1. They couldn't even come up with $1.2 billion to balance this year's budget (they were about $150 million short)--and next year we're looking at $2.4 billion!<BR/>2. If you read through many of their suggested cuts and rationale "can't afford it"--it's downright cold-hearted. For instance, we can't allow recently disabled people who are awaiting in many cases social security applications to be processed to have any income at all--(receiving no more than the princely sum of $173 a month, less if they are homeless). <BR/><BR/>Even if Congress delivers a big financial relief for the states that bails us out of the worst case scenario, we can't allow the 15 year practice of cutting revenues permenently with temporary surpluses to continue--which is why I've argued we need to raise revenues (gas tax and income tax in my case). (http://makedemocracywork.org/columns)<BR/><BR/>Jan Brewer will determine if you're in a position to do that most likely, but I do think Democrats need to come up with a much more humane and realistic budget if Russell Pearce and company fail to provide a balanced approach (cuts and revenue increases) for FY 2010.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04237246235678894210noreply@blogger.com