45,000 City & State Layoffs Across America

[pennypinch]

The bad economy is causing local leaders across the United States to layoff employees. A staggering 45,000 have been laid-off and that number is still rising. State Houses and City Halls are in their worst budget crisis in many years. They say this is due to the declining revenues from income taxes, sales and the inevitable property tax revenue declines.

"This isn't a wrecking ball to a healthy economy, but it could be the straw that broke the camel's back," said Bob Brusca, economist with FAO Economics in New York.

There are 29 states, including California, Florida and Ohio, facing a combined budget shortfall of at least $48 billion in the fiscal year that starts July 1, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a liberal think tank.

By Chris Isidore

Although I do believe our government has grown out of proportion, this comes at a really bad time. There are no jobs to be had out there now, what are these people going to do. As Bob Brusca said, this just may be the straw that broke the camel's back.

45,000 City & State Layoffs Across America

[moneysense]

Did NAFTA have anything to do with this? I think it did, by sending our companies to other countries, this is a big loss of jobs plus revenue in the way of taxes these companies would have paid.

We hear of jobs that will be upcoming in the near future, such as "going green" jobs. But the jobs are needed now, plus a big cut in gas prices, and a ceiling on food prices. And it is all needed NOW.

How many deaths will there be this winter from people freezing to death because they cant afford heating oil, or worse yet, have no electricity to run their furnaces?

Some one needs to step up now and make the needed changes and put them into effect immediately. We cant go on like this much longer and expect to make it.