Oct 16, 2008 8:00 am US/Eastern
A Closer Look At The Governor's Cuts
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Gov. Deval Patrick at WBZ Wednesday evening.
WBZ
Gov. Deval Patrick is struggling to close a $1.4 billion budget hole brought on by plunging tax revenues.
So, he's going to eliminate up to
1,000 jobs and order state agencies to make more than $1 billion in cuts.
He also wants to dip into the state's rainy day for another $200 million.
So how does this affect me? - Longer lines at the Registry of Motor Vehicles
- Fewer community policing patrols
- Slower permitting processes
- Less maintenance of parks and open spaces
What's being cut? The $755 million in budget cuts the governor can make without legislative approval are spread across hundreds of line items, including:
- $293 million in Medicaid cuts
- $24.6 million from cuts at UMass campuses
- $5.9 million from immunization programs
- $3 million from kindergarten expansion
- $2.3 million from parks and recreation
- $1.5 million from AIDS prevention
- $525,000 from anti-smoking programs
Read:
Patrick's Complete List Of CutsHow did the state end up with this $1.4 billion hole? Two reasons:
1. A $1.1 billion drop in anticipated tax revenues returns in four key areas (capital gains, sales, corporate and withholding)
2. A $300 million spike in unavoidable expenses, including soaring caseloads, the increase in the cost of debt and snow and ice removal costs not originally included in the existing budget.
What's safe - for now? Patrick said some portions of the state budget are off-limits -- at least for now -- including local aid payments and school aid to cities and towns.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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