How deep are the cuts?

Hello readers and friends,

   I was going to highlight services that are being cut in Washington State during this recession..but found recently that :

At Least 46 States Have Imposed Cuts That Hurt Vulnerable Residents and the Economy

  At a minimum, the following services will be discontinued or cut in some or all of the 46 states as described in detail ( follow the link at the bottom ):

     Services for Public Health

     Services for Elderly/Disabled

     Services for K-12 and Early Education

     Services for Higher Education

     State Workforce

    It is terrible to think that the most vulnerable will be at risk.  Only slightly encouraging was seeing that some state agencies or workers took a minor pay cut…averaging less than 5%.  

    Some notes of interest:

•    An estimated 8,200 families in Arizona lost eligibility for temporary cash assistance as the time limit for that assistance is cut back to 36 months from 60.
• Colorado cut public school spending by $260 million, nearly a 5 percent decline from fiscal year 2010. The cut amounts to more than $400 per student.
• Florida’s 11 public universities raised tuition by 15 percent for the 2010-11 academic year. This tuition hike, combined with a similar increase in 2009-10, results in a total two-year increase of 32 percent.
• In Minnesota, as a result of higher education funding cuts, approximately 9,400 students lost their state financial aid grants entirely, and the remaining state financial aid recipients will see their grants cut by 19 percent.
• Virginia’s $700 million in K-12 education cuts for the current biennium include the state’s share of an array of school district operating and capital expenses, and funding for class-size reduction in Kindergarten through third grade.
• Washington will reduce assistance for thousands of people who are physically or mentally incapacitated and unable to work in early 2011. For 28,000 adults receiving cash grants through the state’s Disability Lifeline program, the typical monthly benefit will fall by $81 to $258 from $339.

This link has info on all 46 states :   http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1214

     A shorter post today….that link is a good read and has a lot of information.  Have a good day…see you tomorrow.

Trevor M Dodge