MSN Money

10 states struggling to pay bills

Unlike the federal government, almost all states are required to balance their budgets. Here's where shortfalls have been especially painful.

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542Comments
Jun 29, 2012 4:48PM
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California isn't on the list because they legalized marijuana, a completely brilliant and novel idea. To tax and regulate a weed that grows in the ground that has unbelievable potential and uncomprehendable value to human life. If I had all day I would tell you about the wonderfulness of hemp a byproduct of the marijuana plant which per fiber is the strongest material in the world. The sails of the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria were made of hemp. Hemp in its oil form has proven to help reduce tumors and cancerous cells. So California is climbing out of it's insurmountable debt even while fighting with the federal government on a daily basis rapeing and pillaging buisness' that sell their state legalized flower/weed. So get with the dilly-o government, ya got another 4years in office, take notice that no city in california is on this list and legalize something that grows in the wild and can help shape this country on a greener future!
Jun 29, 2012 4:38PM
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Surprised Michigan, New York and Cali aren't on here seeing as how Detroit is still doing bad, New York City is only good for those with money and hell for those without enough, upstate NY has a lot of problems but that's their own fault and Cali has a lot of cities in debt
Jun 29, 2012 4:18PM
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Seems to me that Iowa is sucking air so put a flame to it and get a hit , weed is the way of the world ( GET WITH IT )!
Jun 29, 2012 3:38PM
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And why isnt Calif on the list with  25bil deficit??? I noticed that most of the states are very liberal. Wash state did not have a problem until the womens lib socialist became governor and expanded government even into the recession.....People in government who just spend and spend regardless of gov income are less than intelligent....But the media and the libs think they are just brilliant.....
Jun 29, 2012 3:23PM
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No surprise Illinois. Barry Hussein did to them what he's doing for all of us now.
Jun 29, 2012 2:58PM
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I didn't Know Michigan was in such good shape, NOT!
Jun 29, 2012 1:16PM
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here in washington state the democratic party has ruled because of the king county area, almost all of the eastern side of state republican, yet the western side democratic rule has driven our taxation to be one of the highest in the nation, government waste here is so evident its sickening, by me a state park was created for the bird watchers- a gravel parking lot with maybe 15 parking spots and a out house and 100 yard paved trail = 3 millon dollars, a local outfit that does driveways and such said should have only cost 2oo-300k at the very most, yet no one in our state has a answer for it, the old oh well its done already attitude

this is just the tip of the iceburg here, the democrats here just keep spending more and more and we see more and more taxation, my vehicle tabs last year 48.00, this year 164.00-really

Jun 29, 2012 1:09PM
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Do you all actually believe that it is a Republican or Democrat problem or the puppet masters?

Jun 29, 2012 1:05PM
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Hire more cops! Give out more tickets! It's called "invisible taxation."
Jun 29, 2012 12:59PM
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Lead by examples. California and its cities must cut its generous salary, nice health insurance, huge pension, and unnecessary benefits to keep budgets under control. 

If they don't, bankruptcy Chapter 9 is the only way to go and more bankruptcy to near cities in California.

Jun 29, 2012 12:38PM
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Face it, whether in Illinois or any of the other states that are broke. The rich will always be rich, the poor willalways be poor and the middle class, those that are left will always pay the brunt of any changes and always , always get it stuck in our  rear ends . It does not matter democrat or republican. All politicians need to look in the mirror and live like the rest of us, take pay and benifit cuts like the rest of us. Maybe then they would wake up! But then again they just might vote themselves a cost of living raise. 
Jun 29, 2012 12:26PM
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It's more that a red blue issue. These people are thieves, they don't work for a living and we do for the most part. They can't get pay raises without more taxes and they don't have to produce anything to get those raises. Figure it out and think about the last time you got a pay raise for talking. If you don't have a job and can't get a raise, remenber who you voted for and what they have done to cut taxes. Taxes are the reason businesses are moving out of the country, not labor costs. Taxes and the ability to steal from that flow of money is the problem. Vote correctly and things will improve. Vote wrong and you just may starve to death in the next few years. Or worse, you may have to watch while your family starves to death while politicians stay fat and happy. Cut taxes and work for a living, that's the answer.
Jun 29, 2012 12:25PM
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golly, the overwhelming majority are blue states going under... I'm shocked!
Jun 29, 2012 11:13AM
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the only one that surprises me is nevada , the rest they did it to their self because of all the old money there or blue bloods controling the government jacking up stuff writing laws an changeing bills more an more profit the down turn hit every one in the world , over seas i was just reading people was selling organs human  to feed their families omg , some one has to stop this stuff NOW. get people working , get the banks to start handing out the money they took from us from the bail out , our president he made it worse with the health care bill an all the sentors  an there closed door deals  always give give our money away  this world has fallen apart long ago even before bush  but the current times its like out of a nightmare  or a scifi movie people are dieing because of the world greed  lets stop it the heck with the lawyers an contracts let do whats right
Jun 29, 2012 11:07AM
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The Kardasssssian family and MSN all stink.
Jun 29, 2012 10:13AM
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The "8 blue and 2 red" is accurate in the context of how the state voted in the 2008 presidential race.  It also happens that the 2 red states are two of the top 3 states hit hardest by the real estate crash (insert blame to fit your personal leanings here).

 

5 minutes of research will show you that while there 5 governors of each party head these 10 states, their tenure of each party occupying their respective governors' mansions differ a lot.  The 5 Republicans have been office an average of 2.4 years while the Democratic Party has been in office an average of 7.8 years.  Draw your own conclusions on who has had a bigger impact on this mess.

 

Michelle, you really think Christie caused this mess in NJ in just 2 short years in office and that crook Corzine had nothing to do with it???  In actuality, it was neither's fault.  The system where we make way too many promises to too many people that are unsustainable is to blame.  We are too greedy as a society and we all think someone else is to blame and someone else needs to pay more.

 

 

 

 

Jun 29, 2012 9:13AM
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People - all you have to do is do a quick search on who are our states governors and you will see that there are 5 states whose governors are republican and 5 statates whose governors are democrat. Interestingly, two governors who have been in the news - Christie and Bower are among those whose states make the list. Christie was right not to make a bigger fool out of himself and run for President sparing the rest of the country from what New Jersey is going through and Bower needs to wag her finger over the horrible accounting practices she has used - not at the President and people who are not white.

Jun 29, 2012 8:24AM
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8 blues and 2 reds? Most of these states are Republicans not Demacratic. Another disgruntled Republican who doesn't realize want to accept the fact that he is responseable or to dumb to realize we are in a recession still.
Jun 29, 2012 6:28AM
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Michigan did not make it on the list?!?!? Really? Wow.. I think they need to re check their figures, because I can guarantee Michigan is in the top 3!!.. Unemployment rate is Ridiculous, Job market Sucks, and the Governor is too worried about passing a law that Ketchup is a vegetable then passing any laws about welfare, minimum wage or health care!
Jun 29, 2012 6:26AM
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I live in Missouri it isn't on the list but our gov. is a Dem. so I think he is doing a great job of keeping our state in the black!!!!!!!!!!
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