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Tennessee budget hearings get under way amid bleak forecasts

Published November 16th, 2009 | 2 Comments

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Gov. Phil Bredesen, who came into office during a previous budget crisis in 2003, expects the upcoming spending year to be tougher still.

"This is not a couple weeks I'm looking forward to," the Democratic governor said about public budget hearings that were scheduled to begin Monday. "This next six months will be my most difficult time as governor."

While most agencies have been asked to present plans to cut 6 percent from their spending plans for the budget year that begins July 1, the Bredesen administration has asked for them to prepare an additional 3 percent cut in case economic conditions persist.

"That's on top of an average of 12 percent they reduced in the current year," said state Finance Commissioner Dave Goetz. "That's the kind of magnitude of things we're facing — it's not simply trimming around the edges."

The Education Department is the first scheduled to present its spending plan, though it's in the unusual position among state agencies in that leaders of both parties want to spare K-12 education from the deep cuts that will be necessary in other areas.

Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey said other areas where he'd like to avoid further cuts are in mental health and retardation services, where he said "we've cut about as much as we can cut."

"If there is a legitimate reason for government to exist it's to help those that can't help themselves," said Ramsey of Blountville.

Bredesen added that the Correction Department also can't be expected to produce the same cuts as other agencies.

"You're obviously not going to let prisoners out on the streets and close prisons to do it," he said.

But the governor stressed that the cuts are going to have to come from somewhere, especially since most federal stimulus money will run out during the upcoming budget year.

"I don't have anything off the table at this point, I'm really waiting to see what people come up with," he said.

When Bredesen came into office in 2003, he blamed a vast budget shortfall on money running after his Republican predecessor and the Democrat-controlled Legislature used one-time savings to pay for ongoing programs.

Those spending plans were passed amid emotional debate about whether to impose a state income tax, an effort that ultimately failed.

The governor and lawmakers appear to agree that current conditions are far more serious.

"Back in the income tax days of '01 and '02, people thought there was a contrived crisis," said Ramsey. "But everyone realizes this is the real deal here and we're going to have to make it work."

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I got an idea, tax the cities with red light cameras 100% of the revenue which they send to the private companies out of state or 200% if the company is not in the USA. These abborations are taking local money and sending it elsewhere. How about realizing you need to keep it here in the first place. Show us you give a rats behind about the citizens, otherwise we just don't care about your budget woes.

Jhonny Bravo | 11/16/2009 - 6:19 PM - ( Comment

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What?But,what will cities do for grants?If they don't grow,they'll die.

Otis Vicars | 11/16/2009 - 10:18 AM - ( Comment

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