Five Democratic governors are asking the federal government for a $1 trillion bailout package, including $250 billion for education and $150 billion in middle class tax cuts. “Money In Motion”, people. Watch it, and it’s ever-present buddy corruption, as the cash grab continues. These guys have decided to try to score more bucks than even Barry’s been pushing for. The gypsies are definitely in the palace now.

The governors from Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Ohio on Friday said they have presented their plan to President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team as well as congressional leaders. They said that they need this much federal aid to deal with unprecedented state budget shortfalls in 41 states and in D. C., that the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says will be $42 billion for the current fiscal year alone. The Center pegs the total 2010 and 2011 shortfall at $350 billion.

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle said congressional leaders and the Obama team have been receptive to the governors’ ideas. “That’s not to say they’ve told us this is what they’ll do or they’re with us all the way,” Doyle said. He also said other governors were involved in creating the plan, which grew out of an early December meeting that Obama had with the nation’s governors. Obama’s aides and congressional leaders have been talking about a package roughly half the size of the two-year plan the five governors proposed Friday.

Over two years, $1 trillion is equal to more than 3 percent of the gross domestic product, the U.S. economy’s total output. A package of that size will hopefully draw significant opposition from congressional Republicans and concern from moderate and conservative Democratic lawmakers who oppose large budget deficits.

We MUST let our voices be heard in Washington on this. The madness has to stop! Like we’ve said so many times before, we can NOT deficit-spend our way out of this mess. The bailouts are only making the global economic situation worse.

In addition to the money for education and tax cuts, the governors said their plan includes $350 billion for road construction and other infrastructure projects and $250 billion for social service programs such as Medicaid. The governors all said their states are facing unprecedented budget shortfalls that will require deep cuts to services and possibly irreparably harm their education systems.

“We aren’t crying wolf,” Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland said. “These are real circumstances, unprecedented situations we are facing.” L.O. effin’ L. I have a bridge to sell anyone who buys this crap. It is all an attempt to quickly line pockets with ill-thought-out plans, just like the ORIGINAL bailout was. The banks skated with that cash, and we will NEVER see it again, nor will they ever have to tell us what they did with it. That might be “disruptive” to some banks, according to Treasury Secretary Paulson.

Here’s the fear the Gov’s are schlepping: Ohio’s budget deficit could grow to $7.3 billion even after $1.9 billion was cut from its current budget, Strickland said. New York Gov. David Paterson said his state faces a $15.4 billion deficit. Wisconsin’s budget is expected to be $5.4 billion short by mid-2011. New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine said he had just left a meeting with state legislative leaders where he proposed $2.1 billion in cuts on top of $600 million that’s already been cut from the budget. Yada, yada, yada.

Strickland said the federal stimulus is needed to help bridge the gap from the current recession to when there’s a rebound. (Which will be delayed by all of the spending, brainiacs.) Even with the money, states will have to make deep cuts, he said. “We are not, any of us, talking about federal money to expand spending, expand programs, to do new things,” Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said.

Can we get that in writing?!

Original story