Taxed Enough Already?

[yallerdawg]

Our new super-majority Republican legislature is nearing the end of the 2015 session.

We are halfway to across-the-board 5-9% cuts in Alabama government.

The 5% cut to the state Medicaid program would include a loss of 2 to 1 Federal match, so a loss of around $100,000,000 to Alabama Medicaid.

They are saying we have to make them fix it - but all they are getting is, "Taxes are too high!"

The Alabama House of Representatives today passed a budget for 2016 that would slash spending, causing cutbacks in funding for services for the poor, children and the mentally ill and layoffs of state employees.

Rep. Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, sponsor of the budget bill, said he was still hopeful the Legislature would approve tax increases to offset the most severe cuts.

The budget plan would spend $1.64 billion from the General Fund, a reduction of $204 million, 11 percent, from this year.

Rep. Patricia Todd, D-Birmingham, said the budget would cut in half funding for a program that provides medication assistance for low-income and uninsured people infected with HIV.

"People are going to die because of this budget," Todd said.

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/05/alabama_house_debates_budget_t.html

[Human101948]

1. "People are going to die because of this budget"

Well, isn't that the intent?

Or are those AIDS patients going to be forced to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and cure themselves?