Though states went from anticipating revenue drops of 8 percent to realizing revenue decreases of a far more manageable 0.4 percent, the insistent calls for massive federal aid never changed.
As a result, ARP included $350 billion for state and local governments, including just under $200 billion for states alone.
The level of aid was so excessive that a provision was inserted into the ARPA that barred states from using federal aid dollars to fund tax cuts - the kind of thing that generally isn't necessary if states desperately needed the cash to fund their existing services.
Now, California, a state that once claimed it was on track for a $54.3 billion budget shortfall, is now sitting comfortably on a $76 billion surplus.
The state's fiscal situation is so rosy that its embattled governor Gavin Newsom is proposing $600 tax rebate checks to each Californian.
Even though California has so much money sitting around it's actually giving some back to its citizens, the Golden State will still receive $27 billion in aid from ARP. Phew, good thing Uncle Sam is borrowing those tens of billions of dollars to bail California out!
Taxpayers should remind Congress that they expect the federal government to be responsible custodians of their hard-earned tax dollars, not throw it around at every shiny object that catches their eye.
It's becoming increasingly difficult to discern fact from fiction, and unfortunately the media has a strong bias. They spin stories to make conservatives look bad and will go to great lengths to avoid reporting on the good that comes from conservative policies. There are a few shining lights in the media landscape-brave conservative outlets that report the truth and offer a different perspective. We must support conservative outlets like this one and ensure that our voices are heard.
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
It's Time for Taxpayers to Remind Congress It's Not Their Money
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment