Budget lines forming

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal Editorial, 11/15/7

A tightening state revenue situation is forecast for budget year 2009, which starts in July 2008. This provides ample reason for legislators and legislators-elect to begin listening now to their constituents and assessing the demands of constant priorities like public education funding and adequate health care for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged Mississippians.

A 2.9 percent revenue increase adopted Tuesday as the official estimate of Gov. Barbour and the Legislative Budget Committee falls sharply bellow double-digit tax collection growth during the initial reconstruction after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.