Robbie's turn

My panel has concluded, and we're now beginning a session on "effective legislatures in fiscal crisis." Robbie is on the panel with Speaker Joe Hackney of North Carolina and Senator Don Balfour of Georgia. Robbie represents the only state on the panel with a budget surplus. Robbie is using a PowerPoint (click here for his PowerPoint presentation), which educates the legislators here on our unique Revenue Stabilization Act that prioritizes spending and prevents deficit spending.

It's depressing to listen to some of the other panelists talk about the services cut and the taxes raised to meet budget shortfalls in their states. Like most state governments, if you cut too deep, you're looking at reducing K-12 and other education services, since that's the primary and largest obligation of the states. Those services are cut after other essentials, such as law enforcement, highway spending, Medicaid funding, etc.