Top 100 Perennials [www.clipsyndicate.com | WJBK FOX 2 Detroit, MI]
Private and household consumption rebounds in South Korea. (The Trade) [www.clipsyndicate.com | Bloomberg]
Stores remain packed with shoppers [www.clipsyndicate.com | WNLO CW 23 Buffalo]
Thanksgiving weekend arrives with the state plunged in a budget crisis - and some influential leaders calling for tax increases to help balance the books - but the odds are looking slim for that to happen. Stuart dyson is here with what may lie ahead in tonight's top story. State lawmakers on two powerful tax and finance committees are saying the votes just aren't there for tax increases - so it looks like deeper cuts in state government spending are on the way. When lawmakers meet in january they will still be wrestling with a sizeable hole in this year's budget - and another big one looming ahead for the next budget year. Governor richardson has said tax increases are inevitable - and some lawmakers agree - saying new mexico must avoid any further cuts to public education - but key members of the legislature's big money committees say the votes just aren't there. " Surprisingly enough what i'm seeing is - the people that you normally think would be supportive of revenue enhancement - we won't call 'em tax increases - but revenue enhancement - don't appear to be supportive of that position." " The bottom line is when people are down the last thing you need to be done to you is kick you one more time - kick you a little bit harder when you're having a tough time - a lot of these businesses are just hanging on by a string - and individuals are as well." " I'm not feeling comfortable in terms of having enough tes for any sort of a tax increase in january." " This is an opportunity for state government to really take a look at itself - determine its priorities - determine where we're not spending wisely - and fix it." One powerful voice in disagreement - legislative finance chairman lucky varela. " Now we're going to have to look at the entire picture and i think cutting-only is not an option - i think we have to balance it by some revenue enhancements." But lucky will have his work cut out for him - even if he convinces the house of representatives to go along with him - there's still the senate -. [www.clipsyndic
State investigators are expected to visit the Holyoke tax collector's office in their probe of 82-thousand dollars in overdue motor vehicle excise tax receipts, reported missing. Tax Collector Robert Kane told the Associated Press, the money has been missing for a year. [www.clipsyndicate.com | WWLP NBC 22 Springfield M]
Colrain family regroups after fire [www.clipsyndicate.com | WWLP NBC 22 Springfield M]
Bridge Cards help people who are struggling put food on their table. Many college students use them, but should they? [www.clipsyndicate.com | WOOD NBC 8 Grand Rapids]
Patti O'Callaghan from Lafayette Urban Ministry discuss the groups focus on upcoming legislation regarding homeless and low income. [www.clipsyndicate.com | WLFI CBS 18 Lafayette]
Peoria kicks in an incentive to help the low-income afford housing. [www.clipsyndicate.com | KPHO Phoenix, Arizona]
Shoppers hit stores for Black Friday [www.clipsyndicate.com | KRQE CBS 13 Albuquerque]
Black Friday shoppers hit ABQ stores [www.clipsyndicate.com | KRQE CBS 13 Albuquerque]
Carving hobby turns into career [www.clipsyndicate.com | WTHI CBS 10 Terre Haute]
A program enlists the help of retirees to run free medical clinics for low-income individuals. [www.clipsyndicate.com | WPTZ NBC 5 Burlington VT]
SPECIAL REPORT - Since the creation of production tax incentives in the Bay State, lights, camera, action has become an all too familiar phrase in Massachusetts. With nine films shot in the Bay State in the past month alone, there's no doubt the region is slowly becoming the new Hollywood East. FOX25's Sara Underwood reports. [www.clipsyndicate.com | WFXT FOX 25 Boston, MA]
Greenfield for example recieved funds near 200 thousand dollars from the state for their fire department and police department. The problem... using that state money now, means the town will have to pick up the tab, next year. [www.clipsyndicate.com | WWLP NBC 22 Springfield M]
it's an option on the table for state lawmakers when they meet in january -- looking for ways to tackle a huge shortfall in state revenues. stuart dyson is live at the capitol where lawmakers on a powerful committee were talking tortillas and taxes today. we got rid of the gross receipts -- or sales tax -- on tortilla's and other groceries back in 2005. it was one of the most popular tax cuts ever. but bringing it back could haul in a couple hundred million dollars for the state. now we're talking real money. the politically correct term is revenue enhancement -- but you and i would call it a tax increase. bringing back the sales tax on groceries would mean an estimated 228-million dollars for the state in the next budget year. minute thumbnail 06:16 pm still -- a grocery x is a regressive tax -- hitting poor people the hardest since the spend a higher percentage of their income on food. lawmakers on the powerful tax and revenue committee say there's not much appetite for taxing groceries. "a lot of these businesses are just hanging on by a string, and individuals are as well. and we add a greater tax burden on those folks, we're gonna cut that string, and they won't be hanging on anymore." "as regressive as it is, it's the least painful tax to collect. you pay it a penny at a time when you have to pay property tax, and you have two payments. you have to come up with significant dollars." "before we consider any enhancements at all, we need to make sure that we're doing what we're doing efficiently now, and we know that that's not the case." some lawmakers say the grocery tax is not nearly as evil as it sounds -- because most of the poor are on food stamps -- and wouldn't be paying the tax anyway. it is hard to see minute thumbnail 06:17 pm this one getting very far in the 30- day legislative session. 2010 is an election year -- it's a popular tax cut -- bringing it back in january might have a powerful payback in november. live at the capitol, stuart dyson, ewn4.// [www.clipsyndicate.com | KOB Albuquerque]
There is no relief in sight for the overcrowded Valencia County jail. Voters have shot down a tax extension, which would have been used to fund expansions at the facility. Now officials are considering raiding the budgets of other county services. The Valencia County jail is so full that inmates are stacked three bunks high. The jail has to pay other facilities as far away as Grants and Santa Fe to house overflow inmates. "I think that the expansion of the jail is going to have to occur, and the funds are going to have to come from some source,” said Valencia County Commission Chairman Pedro Rael. The funds would have come from the renewal of an eighth-of-a-cent gross receipts tax. But it failed on the ballot nearly two-to-one. "It wouldn't have impacted them any different than what's going on right now,” said Kenneth Griego, Valencia County’s business manager. County officials say they still need to find nearly $5.5 million to expand the jail and relieve overcrowding. So, come the start of the next fiscal year in 2010 cuts will have to be made countywide. "The realization that we have is that it's going to cost us a lot more later on,” said Griego. The county will look at the 2010 general fund for cuts. It won’t be easy, considering Valencia County is already expecting a 5-7 percent shortfall. First on the chopping block are county services. "We have an animal control shelter. We have about 259 employees in a number of departments, code enforcement. We have the sheriff's office,” said Rael. As a last resort, the county will consider cutting employee pay. If that’s not enough, jobs could follow. County officials say they may try to bring back the gross receipts tax, but they have to wait a year to do so. So it’s possible voters could see it on a ballot a year from now. [www.clipsyndicate.com | KOB Albuquerque]
Mom-and-pop shops are preparing for Black Friday. [www.clipsyndicate.com | KXAN NBC 36 Austin]
veronica package [www.clipsyndicate.com | WWLP NBC 22 Springfield M]
HARTFORD -- Much has been made lately about claims by the Obama administration about how many jobs have been created or saved by the economic stimulus package passed by congress this year. [www.clipsyndicate.com | WFSB Hartford-New Haven]
It's not your decision: Cost and timing [www.clipsyndicate.com | WTHI CBS 10 Terre Haute]
Questions about which companies get federal stimulus money to do road work in Wisconsin. [www.clipsyndicate.com | WTMJ Milwaukee, WI]
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