By ZINIE CHEN SAMPSON
RICHMOND, Va.
Virginia's fiscal picture remained dim, as a panel of state legislators and business leaders got another look at prospects for the state's upcoming budget.
Gov. Timothy Kaine on Monday met with his Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates to hear state fiscal projections, the final such meeting of his four-year term. Kaine then will likely use the most conservative revenue figures — updated at the end of the month to include November tax receipts — as the foundation of his proposed biennial budget, which he will present to the General Assembly's money committees Dec. 18.
After the meeting, Kaine and other legislators didn't disclose figures but said the estimates the council heard Monday largely squared with information presented last week to General Assembly budget writers. Analysts projected that Virginia needs to cut at least $250 million more from its budget, and face an anticipated shortfall of nearly $3 billion for the next two years.
Kaine said Monday he wouldn't rule out proposing tax increases to help preserve core services, Virginia's AAA bond rating and its competitiveness with other states — but the General Assembly would ultimately decide.
The round of cuts he proposed in September, including large funding reductions to public higher education, will carry over to the 2011-12 fiscal year, Kaine said.
Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell and Lt. Gov.-elect Bill Bolling also attended the meeting. The Republican said afterward that he and Kaine planned to meet Monday to discuss the state's financial picture, and he reiterated that he would rule out raising taxes.
Economic conditions have forced more than $5.5 billion in state budget reductions in a little over a year. A shortfall of at least $1 billion already confronts the new two-year budget that McDonnell and legislators must assemble during the upcoming General Assembly session.
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it's interesting
It's interesting that for the past 4 years you guys have complained about "little Timmy Kane", but can't stand it when people complain about little Bobby McD. Interesting but typical!
kaine is short
I call Kaine, little Timmy, because he is short.
thats the way it goes, we
thats the way it goes, we won you lost get over it.
""we won""
Not sure what you think you won, but in a few months we wil all find out. I didn't vote for Deeds either, becaue neither of the nominee's are what's right for VA. One thing is for sure McD will only be in office for 4 years, but I wonder how many decades it wil take us to get over him. Bobby McD made a lot of campaign promises....now let's see him get them done.
Double Standard
It amazes me to listen to budget opinions of folks in this navy town. An enlisted man with no college degree (and no student loan) is earning more than a teacher by his second enlistment. Yet the finger pointing around here mostly comes from military and civil service folks. "Serving my country" they say. Baloney. As if state police and highway workers and teachers don't serve? So it okay to have a cushy retirement on the federal deficit but not okay to pay state employees enough to live on after federal taxes are paid? State employees don't go overseas on deployment, but most work two jobs (even those with degrees), work 24/7/365, and injury and death and assault are not uncommon.
Your kidding right ?
Go overseas on deployment....
Yeah that little detail. Being away from family for months or sometimes years. Being shot at in a war zone and seeing friends maimed and killed and knowing that you could be next. Spending each night in a hostile land. Coming home with PTSD and realizing that soon you will be back for yet another tour.
Sure....just like state workers....please.
deployment comparison
The comparison to a deployment to a hostile environment is not a good one. However, I believe the author was correct in the aspect that government employees (whether, federal, state, city, etc) are all equally serving the public.
And for the record...not every military member has been shot at. So would you suggest those whose service hasn't sent them to hostile environments or those who have never been away from family any less of a service member?
Typical comments--- The
Typical comments---
The government spends too much, but don't cut the funds to:
Roads
Public School
Community Restoration
Health Care
Food Stamps
The Arts
I can't speak for everyone, but in my house, when money gets tight we do without some of our "wants" and just take care of our "needs" Yes, it might be hard. It might be difficult, but it is realistic.
Teachers and cops, oh my
Yep. Every single time the subject of spending cuts is broached, here come the wails about how that will cause cuts in "essential services" --- teachers and cops will get fired!
What's up with that? Does anyone seriously believe the state budget doesn't have nonessential services that can be cut before the fearmongers start wailing about "firing teachers and cops"?
In your own home, when you need to save money, do you stop buying food before you stop going to the movies? Or stop buying gas for your car before you stop eating out so much? Please. How much longer are these blatantly ridiculous sob stories going to be given credence.
**** I propose the Governor set up a web site where the citizens of Virginia can propose state spending cuts. Let the people tell the pols what they are willing to do without! I bet the answers would be very interesting --- and probably much more "doable" than anything Richmond could come up with. ****
Oh, and don't forget: no matter how much Virginia raises taxes for THIS budget shortfall, it will NEVER cover the costs the federal government is about to force on us through Obamacare. Tried picking up the feds' portion of Medicaid latel
excatly, teachers dont teach
excatly, teachers dont teach anyway, dont believe me check out how we stand against other developed nations,we drop farther and farther behind.so instead of just giving them a raise how bout they show some improvement. obamacare? they say the cost of the 10 year program is about 870 billion bucks. what most people dont know is that the benefits wont start untill 4 years after the bill passes, but the tax increase starts right away,and yes everybodies taxes will go up.there aint enough rich people in this country to pay for everything,and you can rest assured that the 4 years of collecting taxes wont go into the fund to pay for the welfare care.. so for 6 years the cost is 870 billion bucks. what will the whole 10 years end up costing? what a country
I hope VA Social Services is listening
Obamacare will strip federal Medicaid and Medicare funding and force the states to cover up to 50% more of these costs than they do now. It's called a shell game!
Hey Virginia social services, etc., how do you think you're going to like having to scare up NEW TAX REVENUES to cover your huge NEW MEDICAID and MEDICARE liabilities under Obamacare? http://tinyurl.com/ygbajqp
Always blame and no solutions
Based on some of the comments about the role of government and wasteful spending, I am sure this proposal will make sense: let's cut out all Commonwealth spending on education--all of it. We can cut billions from the budget and return schools to local (not state) control. There's no right to public education anyway, so let's cut all local funding for education while we are at it. Isn't forcing everyone to pay for public education thinly disguised socialism anyway? Once done with education, we can go back to toll roads; oh yea, let's get rid of the social compact we call social security too. I like it: ZERO TAXES and all is well in the Republic!
Let's do it
You are being sarcastic but I think your ideas are great. Thanks. We homeschool our kids, so I am all for abolishing the public schools.
School vouchers
You make some excellent points! School vouchers and implementing the Fair Tax would be a tremendous boon to our economy, not to mention more freedom from a fiscally out-of-control federal government.
You are exactly right that there is no "right" to forced government-controlled education. In fact, if you'll read up on history, the primary mover for the public education system we have today --- one controlled by the FEDS, not localities --- was the powerful LABOR UNIONS in their heyday, whose motivation was to prevent young people from entering the work force and competing with them. At the same time, as we know the school system is often still used today, the unions argued (but in nicer terms) that public "education" provided workers who were parents with free babysitting.
Further history reading shows that Social Security is nowhere near anything that resembles the philosophical concept of the "social compact." Just sayin'!
Maybe
Maybe one of our two Senators should have held out for some Obama cash in this health care bill like Sen Landrieu did. Then we might have an extra $300 million to help Virginia.
doesn't matter
democRAT, republiCON, who cares. Make do with what you get now. I don't trust any of them.
You got it backwards Governor
You don't raise taxes, you lower them, otherwise other states or even countries come and poach your revenue producers like what's happening in California. It seems government always thinks about its own services first and how to get more, except in this case its like a tick sucking the economic lifeblood from its residents and businesses.
Rarely does government of any level cut out something. This economy will surely force this issue because as consumers we are not going back to spending and running up debt to drive the economy again....jobs are being lost too fast. I think the governors (outgoing/incoming) need to take a hard look at some things the state manages, do only what's essential and begin to turn over other services to private enterprise to manage...maybe beginning with SPSA - but don't get me started there.
Right Message
Our Governor elect will make everything right again. Jobs, lower taxes, and road construction beginning Jan 2010. I know because that's what he said during his campaign. I can’t wait.
Republican Governor, Republican House, Republican Senate. NO EXCUSES.
change budget use rules
Until the federal, state and local governments change how excess budget money is handled at the end of the year we will never be out of debt. The policy of "spend it or lose it in the next budget" needs to be changed. Having to spend budget money just because it was allocated to your department encourages fiscal irresponsibility. Budgets should be based upon actual needs and monies left over should be carried to the next fiscal year rather than spent on frivolous items or projects just spend it all.
never fear
Never fear, little Bobby McD will be in office in a few months to solve all your problems.