State Governments' Budget Crises

Today's news brings word that Minnesota's state government has shut down due to a failure to pass an emergency spending bill. While most of the animosity between Democrats and Republicans comes through in the articles I've seen, NOT ONE "reporter" bothered to or was able to report why, exactly, states across the nation, including Minnesota, are facing budgetary shortfalls that grow more severe each year. In fact, since the mid-1990s, state governments have been hurting for revenue, a combination of the Republicans at the national level starving the states by slashing federal assistance funds and Republicans at the state level slashing tax rates to curry favor with pools of greedy (white) voters who can't see past their own suburban cul-de-sac.

The consequence of all this giving back of "your money" and the crackdown on "welfare programs" like education for the poor, is that states are broke--and have been since, oh, 1994 or so. Does that year ring a bell? Republican Contract with America, anyone?

No one, to my knowledge, has ever gotten on TV and said this. If you, too, live in a state that has a budget crisis, and you are bearing the brunt of it, go find a Republican and ask him what he's done for you lately. If he says he got you a tax break, kick him in the balls. Tax breaks don't fix roads, schools, public buildings, start drug treatment programs, hire cops, feed orphans, treat injuries, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc....you fucking retards.