Republican State Auditor David Vaudt says the state budget republicans have crafted for the fiscal year that starts July 1st sets the state up for a tax increase or significant budget cuts next year.Vaudt says it’s “ignoring where we’re going in the long-range.” Vaudt held a news conference yesterday to release what he called his “independent assessment.” Vaudt says “the facts are the facts, the numbers are the numbers.” Vaudt says the budget plan advanced by Governor Tom Vilsack, a democrat, and the one developed by republican lawmakers both fail to outline how the state will pay off the nearly two billion dollars that’s been shifted from 31 special state funds in order to cover general state expenses. Vaudt says “it’s contrary to good budgeting principles.” Vaudt also accuses both republican lawmakers and the democrat Governor of failing to adhere to the state’s spending limitation law for the past three years. And Vaudt says shifting money out of state funds created for a special purpose should be repaid. Vaudt says the bottom line is that both the G-O-P lawmakers’ plan and the plan from the democrat governor “fall short of what Iowans deserve.” Vaudt says “it’s kind of like what we’ve done is we’ve continued to make our mortgage payments, but we’ve used our credit cards — and eventually your credit cards’ are going to get maxed out.” Vaudt says that “maxed out” point is happening just about now for the state of Iowa.
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