The Clarion-Ledger Editorial, 10/14/8
Gov. Haley Barbour’s warning should come as no surprise that state agencies should scale back budgets to anticipate falling revenue as a result of the national economy.
“Just as Mississippi families and businesses are revising their budgets and looking for ways to save money, we in state government must tighten our belts, too,” Barbour said Friday. “High fuel costs and lower-than-expected tax collections mean we must further control our spending.”
Although Barbour has not ordered any immediate cuts, he wants state agencies to be ready to cut spending by 2 percent before the fiscal year ends June 30. He also is asking agencies to trim 4 percent from their spending requests. First-quarter revenues were $24.8 million behind projections.
