The World Socialist Web Site reports
Three US states--New Jersey, Maine, and Illinois--with a combined population of 23 million people entered a new fiscal year [July 1] without a state budget, forcing widespread shutdowns of public services, state offices, and schools, as well as the closure of state parks on the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
In a fourth state, Connecticut, Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy ordered across-the-board spending cuts totaling $2.1 billion after the legislature failed to pass a balanced budget. Malloy's cuts include the elimination of summer youth employment programs and rental assistance for low-income families, as well as a reduction in education funding.
Six more states entered the new fiscal year without a final budget, but without, as yet, any significant shutdown of state services: Delaware, Massachusetts, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. Cuts are to be expected in all of these states if new budgets are not enacted by July 5, the first workday after the holiday.
[...] In a display of elitist arrogance, [Republican Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey] spent the weekend with his family at an official residence in a state park that had otherwise been closed to the public by his own executive order.
[...] In Maine, Republican Governor Paul LePage ordered the first statewide shutdown of government services since 1991 after the legislature failed to bow to his demand that it adopt a new, two-year, $7 billion budget without any tax increases.
In a brazenly antidemocratic action, LePage and Democratic and Republican state legislators had already agreed that the new budget would repeal a measure approved last November by the votes of more than 357,000 people in a statewide referendum. The referendum imposed an additional three percent income tax on the wealthiest state residents--those who make more than $200,000 a year--to increase funding for public education.
Additional Coverage: ABCNews
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Thursday July 06 2017, @01:41AM (1 child)
> If there would be a new continent that need filling just like the mass emigration to America during the 1900s.
Australia's still pretty empty, but getting hotter.
Russia is warming up fast
Antarctica will eventually get there if we keep being selfish.
Otherwise, there's a lot of empty space in the middle of the ocean, and soonish there will be more competition on satellite broadband than landline down my street.
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday July 06 2017, @04:33AM
Australia's still pretty empty, but getting hotter.
Russia is warming up fast
Australia and the other English-speaking countries are closely allied with the US, and making the same mistakes or worse.
Russia is much worse off than the US: it's extremely authoritarian, the people are extremely nationalistic, and the economy is a disaster. The only good thing about living in Russia is that they probably won't extradite you to the US, which is something only useful to a small number of people.