Republicans react to State of the State Address
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Republicans react to State of the State Address

Date: January 29, 2009
By: Rebecca Layne
State Capitol Bureau

Intro: The budget plan from Governor Nixon came under fire Thursday from state Republicans. Rebecca Layne has more from Jefferson City. RunTime:1:29
OutCue: SOC

House budget chair Republican Allen Icet criticized Nixon for balancing the 2010 budget on $800 million in expected federal bailout money.

Icet says Nixon is growing the budget for 2010 instead of balancing it.

 

The last time budget faced such a crisis, Bob Holden was governor. Icet says Nixon's approach is similar to Holden's.

 

Actuality:  ICET4.WAV
Run Time: 00:30
Description: What Governor Holden did was to give the general assembly and the House an unbalanced budget based on using rainy day funds or based on tax increases. I was on the budget committee, of course "inaudible" was chairman. He presented a balanced budget, not based on expected tax increases, not based on using a rainy day fund which the governor has no authority to use. Unfortunately, it seems Governor Nixon has used a page out of Governor Holden's playbook when it comes to balancing the budget, and that's giving us money that may or may not occur. And that's not prudent budgeting.

 

Icet says that building a 2010 budget on one-time money will be difficult to sustain in 2011. Government might need to raise taxes or cut programs to make it work.
Democratic budget committee member Chris Kelly says the budget plan is not perfect, but it's competently and responsibly done.
 
He says worrying about the 2011 budget is a way for Republicans to take the focus off of the current proposed budget. 
 
Actuality:  KELLY3.WAV
Run Time: 00:12
Description: They can't find anything the matter with this budget so they manufacture an issue about some nonexistent budget. That's a good strategy. It just doesn't have anything to do whether this is a good or a bad budget.

Reporting from Jefferson City, I'm Rebecca Layne ... KSMU.