States Are Finally Getting The Republican Message

The Wall Street Journal reported today on its 1st page the following couple of paragraphs:

“Governors around the U.S. are proposing to balance their states’ budgets with a long list of cuts and almost no new taxes, reflecting a goal by politicians from both parties to erase deficits chiefly by shrinking government.

“On Monday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a newly elected Republican, is expected to issue a budget that cuts state spending by $5 billion and overhauls public employee pensions.

“A democratic governor, John Kitzhaber of Oregon, has proposed a two-year budget that would make cuts to mental health institutions and reduce state Medicaid reimbursements to doctors and hospitals. Cuts to Medicaid, a joint state-federal program, are some of governors’ largest proposed reductions.”

Unfortunately, Colorado’s governor and legislature do not seem to be following this national trend. The Denver Post reported today that, “The total budget in the current fiscal year, which ends in June, is $18.2 billion. While Ritter's proposal for the 2011-12 year would be nearly $1 billion larger, revenues have not grown fast enough to keep up with school and college enrollment and human services caseload growth.”

The Governor presented his proposed budget to the state legislature's Joint Budget Committee on Nov. 2, 2010. The committee will draft its own budget and the legislature will vote in March 2011.

Readers of this blog post could do well to contact their state legislators and tell them to cut the state spending—there is no more money around to pay for expensive government.