Foster’s Daily Democrat and other members of the media are frequent recipients of missives from the state Democrat Party criticizing the cuts made by the GOP-led legislature.
Frequent among the targets is the cut in the cigarette sales tax. Another sore spot is the $35 million in Medicare funds the state must repay the federal government, which legislators will address in special session next month.
But that $65 million comes far short of the cuts Democrat Chair Ray Buckley has complained about. And keep in mind that Democrat and Chief John Lynch himself recommended budget cuts that also would have made Buckley squirm (although we doubt he would have complained).
It is time for Democrats to stop complaining and offer some concrete numbers — as well as the tax and fee increases needed to pay for them. After all that is what the state elections of 2012 are going to be about.