Comments on: Daily Headlines, Tuesday, 11/24/2009

By: anonymous

anonymous — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:26:38 +0000

‘Fraid not, prince, those cuts were real.

By: princeliberty

princeliberty — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:14:24 +0000

Riley cut state agencies by 25%? Baloney. There were minor cuts.

You can look back on the Alabama gov pages and it shows the “cuts.”

Most it was new spending that did not happen and then some smoke and mirrors.

Nothing at all like the huge spending cuts that had to avoided at all costs according to Governor Riley as he campaigned for the largest tax increase in Alabama history.

Riley more than made up for the spending that did not happen that year with huge increases in spending later on.

Spending that is setting up Alabama for a nightmare in 2011.

The only reason Alabama is not full scale budget crisis is that Alabama is spending short term stimulis money to paper over the wholes in the budget.

But spending is not being cut and so the papering over will only make things worse once the stimulis money runs out.

By: anon

anon — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:32:16 +0000

Post

By: anon

anon — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:10:10 +0000

Riley was lying about the budget crisis and didn’t come close to cutting 25% of state government. Look on page 21 of the 2004-2005 state budget here:

http://budget.alabama.gov/pdf/buddoc/BudDoc2005.pdf

2003 general fund: $1,270,499,580

2004 Riley request: $1,329,849,533

2003 earmarked funds: $8,393,844,950

2004 Riley request: $8,545,088,280

Total BS about cutting state agencies 25%.

Same BS story with the Education Trust Fund budget on page 30.

By: anon

anon — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:41:30 +0000

Riley was totally lying and didn’t cut anything after the 2003 vote – look on page 21 of the 2004-2005 state budget expenditures here:

http://budget.alabama.gov/pdf/buddoc/BudDoc2005.pdf

The 2003 general fund appropriation was: $1,270,499,580

Riley’s 2004 general fund request was: $1,329,849,533

The 2003 earmarked funds was: $8,393,844,950

Riley’s 2004 earmarked funds request was: $8,545,088,280

You’ll find the same thing with the Education Trust Fund budget on page 33.

Total BS about cutting state budgets 25%.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:42:07 +0000

Riley wasn’t crying wolf in 2003. After the people voted, he went back and cut agencies by 25%. That’s what averted the crisis.

By: princeliberty

princeliberty — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:13:06 +0000

Back in 2003, Riley was screaming Alabama was in a historical budget crisis that we could only tax our way out of.

In the end Riley was crying wolf. But in 2011, it will be no wolf. Riley is leaving the state in finical shambles.

The next governor is going to under tremendous pressure to raise taxes. So if Byrne thought raising taxes was a grand idea when there was no true crisis, what are the odds that when facing the real thing he will want to raise them?

Pretty good, a massive increase I bet!

By: don

don — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:26:57 +0000

Byrne’s campaign is just not in sync. The hardcore Republican right could care less about charter schools or ethics reform, and Byrne’s silence on the religious right issues is raising eyebrows on the R side. At least one pollster in Montgomery says Byrne is now third ii the primary and has fallen behind Davis in head to heads. He is raising money but if those polls get out his dollars will slow down.

By: waltm

waltm — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:10:30 +0000

Baudrillard, quite possible James will get a boost with Davis or Sparks getting a second look by the non partisan voters.

By: anon

anon — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:52:20 +0000

I am glad Johnson is bringing up things like the $13 million no-bid computer contract to someone living in a house, asking Riley to recuse himself from Jefferson County because he has a conflict with his kid’s on the payroll and now his connecting the dots with Riley’s anti-bingo mania and mississippi indian money. As Johnson has said, Riley is still governor and still accountable to the taxpayers – no free pass just because he’s a lame duck.

By: Conserrrrrrrrrrrvo Mannnnnnnnnnn

Conserrrrrrrrrrrvo Mannnnnnnnnnn — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:37:42 +0000

Bobly Byrne doesn’t contradict himself. He is a contradiction. Tax cut pledges now, tax hikes in yesteryears. Reformer now, yet he didn’t reform anything. Mr. Republican now, but he gave campaign cash to Bill Clinton, went to his convention and voted for him over a republican. Conservative now, but believes in evolution and never called himself a conservative when he was on the state school board. Promises to be at political forum and radio show, but ends up being a no-show. Was hard-core against gambling at start of campaign, now says he thinks its okay in certain areas of the state and has at least 3 gambling lobbyists as key advisers in his campaign. Make up your mind Bobly Byrne!

By: CC Dollar

CC Dollar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:09:00 +0000

Dirt, your right…that nasty old witch that attacked Kathy may have opened up a hornets nest…nothing is sacred anymore…hopefully she will be out on her ass when the Johnsons take the reigns…

By: CC Dollar

CC Dollar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:59:36 +0000

seems all is now well with our traffic on 231 south…..thanks to anyone that helped with correcting the problem….. I did not think our state and local leaders would let the public be put in danger over something like this……

thank goodness for the internet….and rickey stokes news… : )

By: Dirt McGurt

Dirt McGurt — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:50:34 +0000

Is anyone else who is friends with reporters on Facebook really pissed off that this is a story and really unhappy that our wall posts may have just become fair game? I am pretty sad.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:49:15 +0000

Bradley Byrne apparently can’t help contradicting himself. First he says that charter schools won’t siphon off money that goes to traditional public schools. Then he says he will pay for these charter schools with public school tax dollars.

I guess if Byrne loses the election, he can always find work in a carnival as the man who can talk out of both sides of his mouth!