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“It was unfortunate that we were unable to achieve a bi-partisan agreement on measures to reduce this deficit,” Hoydick said. “However, we really need to recognize that it took less than three months for the budget cobbled together by the governor and Democrats last June to fall apart. Half-measures and lip-service aren’t sufficient to change the course we are on. Without a wholesale review of our policies and structural revision of them, our economic fortunes won’t change in this state.”
"I had hoped we would be able to vote on a budget mitigation package that would make long-term structural adjustments to a system of budgeting that has obviously failed us time and time again," McGorty said. "Massive and punishing tax increases have not righted our economic ship, and we have seen budget deficit after budget deficit. What was acted on during this session simply kicks the can down the road, and set the table for future deficits."
The plan called to cut projected deficits of $254 million in the current fiscal year and $552 million in the next year by changing some of the business tax increases imposed in June and less than half of the cuts to hospital.
Both Hoydick and McGorty expressed concern hospitals and nursing homes would not be able to maintain service and staffing level and that the plan took $35 million from the transportation fund.
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