Comments on: State Budgets: The Day of Reckoning

Add a Comment
by maiingan December 19, 2010 9:05 PM EST
I live in Illinois, so am already fairly aware of the problem. But I think long-term unemployment and long-term underemployment are worse problems than the housing crisis. Aside from making it hard or impossible for people to pay for the roofs over their heads, these situations cost governments at all levels lots of income tax and other revenue, and outlays in unemployment compensation, government health care programs in some places, and in-kind aid/scrip like Food Stamps. If unemployment and underemployment were fairly distributed, the financial situation would be better for governments as well as individuals. Of course it's not the total solution. But when governments such as my State's admit they have to use all tools to solve the problem, they typically want to let a growing economy fix the long-term unemployment/underemployment problems. It's not going to work like this.
Reply to this comment
by NJConservative December 19, 2010 9:05 PM EST
Mr. Kroft didn't do his homework. Governor Christie did not cut the budget 26%. He diverted $2.5B in property tax relief to general revenue to plug the budget hole. The idea that Governor Christie cut the budget is an outright falsehood of epic proportions. Spending on state operation is up 6% in the governor's budget.
Reply to this comment
by BIGuru December 19, 2010 8:39 PM EST
What a Mess! Are we trying to compete with Ireland and Greece as to who can go downhill fast?

Why are we not expanding our state economies?
Reply to this comment
by catanzarita December 19, 2010 8:31 PM EST
One must never fail to remember that every Republican criticism toward government, or any of its programs that they so hate, has as its cloaked and fundamental objective the destruction of the baby by way of pointing to the dirty bath water, which they themselves have made dirty. To change the bath water is pointless to their ends. Such are the philosophical and methodological tactics of the anal-sadistic character.

One could not avoid seeing Christie grinning when talking about getting rid of pensions. The Republican NJ Gov(s) robbed the pension funds a long time ago; now they come in and say no pensions, sorry! How many calories does this guy take in a day anyways?

Jeff
Metuchen, NJ
Reply to this comment
Scroll Left
Scroll Right More »
60 Minutes on Facebook

  • 48 Hours iPad App

    Big changes for the 2012-2013 season! Watch the current week's episode for FREE up to a week after it airs or subscribe for access to all shows, classic episodes and more!