By Matt Brabb
Mogollon Connection Editor
The Arizona state legislature finally took action to shore up an expected $2.6 billion budget shortfall for fiscal year 2011. The cuts could be particularly hard-hitting for rural communities like those in Rim Country.
Despite the drastic cuts and the elimination of a number of state programs, the budget was written with the assumption that voters will approve the repeal of First Things First, an early childhood program, along with a land conservation program that voters approved in 1998. Those two moves would save the state some $500 million.
The budget also calls for drastic cuts to the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), which is the state’s version of Medicaid. An estimated 310,000 people will lose their health care coverage when the budget becomes law, and that number doesn’t include the some 47,000 children who will lose coverage by the elimination of the KidsCare program.
Opponents of the cuts, including the Chamber of Commerce and spokespersons from the health care industry claim the cuts are against the will of the people who approved expanding AHCCCS a decade ago. They warned that the state could be sued if they went through with the cuts.
One cost saving measure proposed by Governor Jan Brewer was shelved for the time being. The legislature did not eliminate the state Department of Juvenile Corrections as the governor had recommended. Had the state gone through with passing on the responsibility of managing juvenile corrections to the counties, it would have almost certainly led to a lawsuit. County governments strongly objected to the plan, many claiming that it would bankrupt them. For the upcoming year, the two largest counties, Pima and Maricopa, will contribute money to the state to keep juvenile corrections functioning.
The voting fell along party lines, with the Republican controlled house and senate voting in favor of the budget, while Democrats voted no. The Republicans claimed that the spending cuts were necessary because of drastic reductions in state revenues. After shaving $1.1 billion from the budget, the state plans to spend $8.9 billion in fiscal year 2011.
Democrats claimed that there were alternatives to cutting funding for the most needy in the community. House Minority Leader David Lujan, D-Phoenix, said that there were other options besides deep spending cuts, but that Republicans ignored them.
The budget also cuts funding for state parks, but it appears that local communities like Payson will be able to partner with the state in order to keep them open.
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3 comments:
This is grotesquely ironic. The Republicans want to cut out health care at the state level, because it will be covered now at the Federal level - the very level they have been desperately fighting against. Huh?
Only in today's America, foks
OMG!
Do you even live on this planet? The Republicans cut spending because thats what we want them to do. It had nothing to do with the white wash Health Care Reform the Democrats just passed. The state legislature did what the people asked them to do. Cut, cut, cut wherever they could.
Lets see, should the state provide health care to people who don't have a job, or let go 500 DPS patrolman? Simple to me.
There are way to many freebies now. The next step is to audit these non working deadbeats who eat so much of our tax dollars. Start with urinalysis for alcohol, tobacco and of course illegal drugs. Anyone who receives government assistance should be rationed as to what they get. Cigarettes, alcohol should be prohibited for welfare recipients.
Enough is enough! The dirty crooked scumbags passed the bill, but some really true American Attorneys General with fight this because it's Unconstitutional. And this bill will be repealed come November. Oh bye the way, I think all of the Congress are crooked scumbags. Vote out the Incumbents this November.
I know these die-hards are ignorant, but you Would think they can read.
THIS from the article:
"the repeal of First Things First, an early childhood program, along with a land conservation program that voters approved in 1998. Those two moves would save the state some $500 million.
The budget also calls for drastic cuts to the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), which is the state’s version of Medicaid. An estimated 310,000 people will lose their health care coverage when the budget becomes law, and that number doesn’t include the some 47,000 children who will lose coverage by the elimination of the KidsCare program."
Dead beats and no-goods, eh?
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