More cuts on the way

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by: DavidThi808

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

This just out from Ritter – and these are going to hurt – a lot.

GOV. RITTER STATEMENT ON SEPTEMBER REVENUE FORECAST

Gov. Bill Ritter issued the following statement today regarding the September revenue forecast, which shows an additional $240 million shortfall in the current 2009-10 fiscal year because of the ongoing economic downturn:

“While the recession is forcing us to make some very difficult and painful decisions, I want to be clear: we will balance the budget just like we’ve been doing for the past year.

“At this point, that means closing another shortfall of $240 million. We’ve already closed shortfalls of $1.8 billion and reduced spending by 10.4 percent. As we’ve done before, we’ll move quickly, thoughtfully and responsibly to once again tighten our belt and reduce spending.

“We have already begun meeting with legislative leadership and members of the JBC to review our options. We will take another look at proposals that were not implemented from the last round of budget balancing this summer. We’ll talk with department heads, stakeholders and constituency groups.

“The same principles and core values that have guided us throughout this process will continue to do so: to be thoughtful, surgical and compassionate, and to minimize pain, protect the safety net and maintain investments in our future.

“But we need to be realistic. Every cut we make will cause pain. Every cut we make will hurt.

“As we make these difficult choices, we will look for new opportunities to be more efficient, more innovative, more modern and more entrepreneurial. We aren’t going back to the old ways of doing businesses. We can’t. So we need to do things better and be more nimble going forward.

“This is Colorado. Our economy is still in better shape than many other states. Our economic-development strategy is working. We’ll get through this, and we’ll get through it stronger, quicker and healthier by working together.”

Ok all, where would you cut?

5 thoughts on “More cuts on the way”

cologeek says:

September 22, 2009 at 5:02 pm

Everyone knew that the state was going to be coming up short (though to be honest, I don’t think anyone was saying it was going to be this bad). Last year the Democrats could have put revenue raising items on the ballot but did not do so. Maybe it was because they feared being attacked on raising taxes during an election that was going all their way. Though if they are afraid to put tax hikes on the ballot then, when would they?

But you can’t blame it all on the Democrats (though it is tempting). The fact of the matter is that the economy is in lousy shape, and that has more of an effect on revenues than anything else.

When times are tough, you have to look at what are necessities and luxuries and cut the latter. If Governor Ritter and the Democrats are perceived as cutting necessities, thereby causing pain to the electorate, in order to make tax hikes more palatable to them he will probably lose next year. If he had come forward and talked to us about the coming shortfalls and the need to bolster state revenues with ballot measures last year he most likely would have gotten what he wanted. After all, we voted yes when Bill Owens and the Republicans were in charge.

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1. cdsmith says:
  
  September 22, 2009 at 5:36 pm
  
  You really think Josh Penry, for example, would have stepped up and supported a bipartisan effort to raise revenue, the way Bill Owens did? Not a chance. He’s running against this governor.
  
  Ref C barely passed (and D didn’t) even with support from the leaders of both political parties. Putting another teax measure on the ballot last election would have not only been political suicide (which I’m sure you’d have loved to see), but it also would have failed and wouldn’t have accomplished anything.
  
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OneEyedOwl says:

September 22, 2009 at 6:15 pm

Still lovin’ that $50 mil break for NASCAR and Winter Olympics venues. Whatever the governor does, he needs to keep his promises to his fund-raising buddies.

And how about all those enterprise zone tax breaks that don’t work as advertised? Keep the trough full.

And thanks to Bill Owens and the Republicans for reducing the state income tax rate. It didn’t make much of a difference in anyone’s paycheck, but it sure hit state revenue and made the anti-tax crowd happy.

Maybe the state should stop subsidizing advertising for private businesses (like the ski resorts). If a statewide marketing effort is so important to the success of those businesses, they should form their own marketing cooperative.

Just a few suggestions, for starters. Talk amongst yourselves …

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DavidThi808 says:

September 22, 2009 at 8:29 pm

Decriminalize & tax drugs. And release all non-violent prisioners who are in prison on posession charges.

Save a ton of money on legal & prison expenses.

Gain revenue from taxes.

Drug use declines (see prohibition).

Crime decreases.

What’s not to like?

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1. fatboy says:
  
  September 27, 2009 at 5:29 am
  
  If we decriminalize pot and let it be sold openly or in a state controlled store (like the state run liquor stores in some eastern and southern states) we would make a ton of money just from sales tax. After all pot is tangible personal property and there is a 10th Circuit case stating that cocaine is subject to the sales tax. No TABOR issues.
  
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