California Budget Crisis is Tip of the Iceberg

In a Crisis, Rethinking Fiscal Federalism - Economix Blog - NYTimes.com:
By Harold Pollack AND Ed Kilgore 6/29/09

"The Los Angeles Unified School District will cancel most summer programs this year because of California’s budget woes. The state’s entire welfare-to-work system may also be on the chopping block, cuts that could deny health coverage to 900,000 children."

"Although California’s budget woes and political hijinks hit the front page, that state is not alone... "

"Media accounts present each state’s difficulties in light of its distinctive politics and economic circumstances: the budget-crippling ballot initiatives in California, the culture of corruption in Illinois, the liberal health policies of Massachusetts.... It’s fun to ponder the local flora and fauna, but the real problems lie underneath: the frayed partnership between states and the federal government."

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Posted by Chuck Bell at 6:28 PM