To cut or not to cut

Below is part of an Associated Press story that shows, I think, that some GOP conservatives are taking advantage of the budget crisis to cut government, rather than really find fiscal discipline, which is how they cast the argument.

It's not unlike the Democrats efforts to lard the stimulus bill with some funding for favorite programs, using the crisis to push their causes, but saying we just need to spend money now to kick start the economy.

When it comes to things like education funding, I think most people/voters would favor staying put rather than cutting deeper. The anti-government philosophy does not sell well when were' talking about programs that affect the vast majority of people.

Rising revenue ups pressure to undo budget cuts
SCOTT BAUER,Associated Press


MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin's Republican governor and GOP leaders in several other states are facing increasing pressure to back off from deep spending cuts to education and social programs in light of higher than expected revenue projections as the economy improves.

The surge in revenue is giving rise to an awkward question — are the governors making the deepest cuts because they have to or because they choose to?

The issue is unfolding in Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, Colorado and several other states where tax revenue forecasts have turned up just as legislatures are working through budget reduction packages.

In Wisconsin, local school board members and superintendents are pressing lawmakers and Gov. Scott Walker to scale back his proposed 8.4 percent cut in aid to public schools and 5.5 percent reduction in how much schools can collect from state money and property taxes combined. The Republican-controlled Legislature has backed Walker's agenda so far, but did not reject this appeal outright.

Miles Turner, director of the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators, said the earlier cutbacks were based on a leaner budget outlook. Continuing with the entire reduction now, he said, would show "there's a greater interest in following through with an ideological campaign against public education than there is to support public education."

Many school districts have been planning to lay off teachers, increase class sizes and cut back programs like music and foreign languages to cover the reductions.

Elsewhere, the Colorado Legislature has approved $22.5 million less in education cuts than originally proposed by Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper following improvements in the state's revenue projections. In Michigan, Republicans who control the Legislature and Republican Gov. Rick Snyder are reducing their original proposed cuts to schools by as much as two-thirds.

A similar effort isn't getting much traction in New Jersey where Republican Gov. Chris Christie has refused to back off his program of cuts although revenues are projected to increase between $500 million and $900 million over two years.