Governors to Washington: Don't balance the budget at expense of states

National Governors Association Chairman Gov. Jack Markell of Delaware, left, with Vice Chariman Gov. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma speaks during a news conference at the NGA Winter Meeting in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. The nation's governors say their states are threatened if the automatic, across-the-board budget cuts known as the sequester take effect March 1. / AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

The National Governors Association, a bipartisan collection of state executives meeting this weekend in Washington for their annual winter conference, delivered a timely message to lawmakers working on a deficit reduction package: balance the budget, by all means - but not at our expense.

"Deficit reduction should not shift costs from the federal government to the states," said NGA chairman Gov. Jack Markell, D-Del. "We know the cuts are coming, but we don't want to suffer disproportionately, and we want to have some input in terms of what that looks like."

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Governors warn Washington on budget cuts

"We understand that the federal government needs to make cuts," said NGA vice-chair Gov. Mary Fallin, R-Okla. "We're all concerned about our federal debt. We're just saying, as you identify federal cuts and savings, allow the states to realize those savings too."

Gov. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., explained that debate is not about the imperative of deficit reduction, but about what form it takes: "I haven't heard a single governor not recognize that the deficit and the level of indebtedness is a serious risk," he said, adding that states are willing to "share the pain" caused by cutbacks.

"We think it's very important that governors have a seat at the table," Markell said. "We are partners."

Several governors bemoaned the automatic spending cuts in the so-called "sequester" that are due to land on March 1.

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"The uncertainty of sequestration is really harming our states and our national economy," said Fallin, arguing that "we can lessen the effect of sequestration if the states are given flexibility" in terms of how they spend federal money.

The sequester, said Hickenlooper, was originally designed to be "so odious, so repellent" that it couldn't possibly take effect. "This is something nobody wants. It's not a balanced, thoughtful compromise."

And Markell argued that the White House's repeated warning about the dire impact of sequestration is "really important," saying it makes the cuts "more real for people."

The governors also addressed the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, noting a "divergence of opinions" among different states about how to approach the expansion.

"We believe the expansion of medicaid in [Oklahoma] would be unaffordable," said Fallin, noting that, despite her judgment on the issue, "We respect eachother's opinion."

Fallin repeatedly stressed the theme of flexibility, arguing that "more leeway" for states would produce better policy outcomes on a range of issues, from deficit reduction to health-care reform.

She also took aim at the nation's tax code, calling for federal tax reform and labeling the current U.S. tax structure "unwieldy."

Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie, who came all the way from Hawaii to attend the bipartisan executives' confab, admitted, "I can't really say I'm delighted to be here."

But as Abercrombie, a former House member from the Aloha State, stepped onstage, he greeted his former GOP House colleague Fallin with a smile and a handshake, later taking the opportunity to admonish an often-fractious Washington.

"It is possible," he said, "to set aside these Democratic and Republican and ideological points of view and concentrate on the object, which is to serve our people."

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Republicans hate govenment to the point they sabotage it whenever possible. They intentionally run up deficits spending on things not productive for America. They do this to justify saying there are no funds for social programs. They hate social programs. They do not believe the government should help individuals and they do not want government to work for individuals. This is another reason they sabotage it every chance they get.

The US post office is a prime example of republicans sabotaging government. They passed a law requiring the USPS to pre-fund employees retirement 75 years in advance in a 10 year window. No other entity in the entire country is required to do this except the USPS. This is what's causing the USPS to be cash strapped. Absent that the USPS would be fine. The bogus fiscal cliff crisis to the current sequester. There are more examples of republican sabotage, you get the picture.

[davidd5063]

There's really nothing to "discuss" or "compromise" with GOP LYING filth. Time to just start shooting the garbage and move on.

[Borg45]

whaaaaa! CBS has turned into the not news. not an unbiased source. makes me sick.

[whaas2]

The President promised that the 2012 federal deficit would not exceed 229.27 billion dollars so his administration owes the people more than 900 billion dollars based on that one promise alone. The President's economic "plan" is to start running surpluses by 2015. The President needs to proivide a detailed plan inclulding annual budgets so we can see how all of this can possible take place. We want to understand the bottom line.

The sequester was created by the administration. The President has already said the he will veto any attempt by congress to get around it. The states are in a much better financial situation than the federal government. AT more than 16 trillion dollars in debt I estimate that the money that the federal government is borrowing today will end up costing the tax payers ten times the amount of money being borrowed to repay over the next 170 years. The federal government has to do what ever it takes to stop loosing money.

[haneyrj1]

Are you all missing the key point here???

Why is the federal government bailing out the states to begin with??

Each town, city, county, district, state and parish should be responsible for levying the necessary taxes to run their areas of responsibility. The federal government should only be involved in FEDERAL ISSUES. Our system is supposed to be based on all the power to the people and then gradually going up. So the federal government has now become the power base and we the people are the lowest ones. Fix that and you fix everything else. This allows California to have a 75% tax base and do what ever their people want to do without me having to pay for it.

[lanne19]

Everyone needs to stop blaming the other guy. ALL of US have allowed this to happen. The why doesn't really matter as much as the what are we going to do now! Everyone in Washington and all the politicians need to stop looking out for themselves and start looking at the greater good. Where, oh where are the statesmen and women how can see the bigger picture and understand the importance of solving the problems and not kicking the can down the road for someone else to deal with??!!

[gavindickinson]

REPUBLICON_LIAR_ROBME

name calling is so childish, divisive, hateful, and offensive...

how about being civil? even your handle is offensive.

great work...

[davidd5063]

Actually GAVINDICKSON, perhaps you could take a look in the mirror when we talk about name calling "everyone who doesn't agree with a psychopathic piece of GOP garbage is on WELFARE". Also take a look in the mirro when we talk about childish "since telling transparent, self-serving, bold faced LIES and sabatoging the economy while claiming to be SUDDENLY concerned about the debt" is quite CHILDISH. There is no being "civil" with lying, bigotted, theiving, self-serving, GOP trash!

[Krowster]

Don't plea with Washington, plea with your designated GOP Senator, they're the ones supporting greed and special interest in YOUR state.

[jpolk84]

Ha! Sequestration was Obama's idea. He even threaten to veto any attempt to remove it. During the last negotiations he said give me taxes now and I'll give you cuts. Now he's asking for more taxation. Yeah, this ALL the GOP's fault, right?

[gavindickinson]

this is the problem, blame the other guy... none of the politicians from Obama on down are willing to work together, and are playing games... Obama is the top game player of them all, now he is threatening us with the dire consequences of the cuts...
Pure politics and horse badordies to blame the you are being led by the nose sir.

[nearl451]

I have to say.....their input is coming a bit late.

Good to have that discussion though. My bet is the sequester goes through for a few months and then the uproar casues some smarter cutting and revenue increases.

But who knows, it may take election year threats to fire them to make them move.

[reubenrcbs]

The Governors want something that they don't want the President to have. I find this strange and a problem. However, in reality, there is going to be a lot of "ooops" here, if the sequester goes through, and the Republican Governors are going to be screaming at the top of their lungs. But this is what they want to do.

[rswarner]

The states have had enough time. And they squandered it. Under educated, over churched, prejudiced, bigoted. Now they are facing reality. I always thought government, particularly our federal American government was meant to create control mechanisms to keep us fools from killing ourselves. Guess it hasn't worked. Blame, blame, blame, blame - but nothing productive comes from the American idiocy. A failed society goes down quickly. Better call up your favorite Corporate CEO and ask this creep to step up and take charge. Unfortunately, your bud has left for digs overseas - with all your hard earned cash.