Really?

From Renee Murphy a few minutes ago:

“The Commonwealth is still dealing with a projected $100 million budget shortfall. The governor said most government agencies will face cuts of about three percent. He said he was able to avoid slashing funding for economic development, health care, public safety along with education.”

It’s like the station just dropped those lines without ever questioning the facts.

Here’s reality:

Education-Related Cuts

• General Administraiton & Program Support $89,200
• Deaf & Hard of Hearing $25,100
• Libraries & Archives – General Operations $185,700
• Libraries & Archives – Direct Local Aid $105,600
• Office for the Blind $37,400
• Operations & Support Services (Department of Education) $1,740,000
• Learning & Results Services $8,261,600
• Council on Postsecondary Education $495,100

Public Safety-Related Cuts

• Public Service Commission $261,300
• Energy Development & Independence $46,800
• Natural Resources $555,800
• Environmental Protection $264,800
• Justice Administration $328,600
• Juvenile Justice $2,403,100
• Corrections Management $191,800
• Adult Correctional Institutions $25,000,000
• Workplace Standards $58,1000
• Office of the Secretary (Public Protection) $8,500
• Alcoholic Beverage Control $38,100
• Board of Claims/Crime Victims’ Compensation $19,900
• Highways $45,592,000
• Public Transportation $140,400
• Auditor (public corruption making us unsafe much?) $146,900
• Attorney General $349,000
• Homeland Security $6,800

Health-Related Cuts

• Military Affairs $282,700
• Commission on Human Rights $53,000
• Agriculture (eat much?) $517,500
• State Group Health Insurance Fund $54,900

But my by loose math? That’s more than $87 MILLION IN CUTS to the very services WHAS11 said won’t experience cuts. Instead of reality, television viewers were led to believe everything is puppies & rainbows with the budget in Frankfort.

Head. Desk.

(Click here for all the details on the proposed budget cuts.)