The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : What's Basic?

What's Basic?

By Paul Chesser on 5.21.09 @ 11:36AM

I'm a fan of the Washington Times reporting, but in a story about state budget deficits and how many are raising taxes to cope, what appears to be a throwaway line really bugged me.

I'm a fan of the Washington Times reporting, but in a story about state budget deficits and how many are raising taxes to cope, what appears to be a throwaway line really bugged me:

States from New York to Hawaii are proposing tax increases to fund basic state services.

This is absolute crapola. States have plenty of money to "fund basic services." They are in a fix largely because they've gone far beyond "basic."

About the Author

Paul Chesser is executive director for the American Tradition Institute and a senior fellow for the Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives. The views he expresses do not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations.