Giving states money so they can balance their budgets doesn't do anything for the state or the economy except. The stats need to go way beyond a balancing act. That's not even a life ring without a life line tied at the bitter end.
The government needs a lot of money to be put into the right places in order to reverse the downward cycle we're bein sucked down into. Shoring up homes & home owners is one of the surest ways. Putting the money into inferstructure is another way of putting folks back to work while at the same time spreading money throughout the economy. Creating new industry like Green Industry in another way. If me miss out here it's like when we missed out on a lot of the high teck industry & other nations dig deep while we scratched & sniffed. The same with gene/cell sciences & climate/eviormental sciences. While Bush drove us back into the caves other nations were busying developing. Obama will drive us in the same way JFK drove the space industry which benifited us in unforseen ways in those times. Health & education is an investment that is sorely suffering & has been for he last 8 yrs, that needds more than a shot in the arms & legs, that renneds a transplant & an infusion of captial & backing.
All the repubs can think of is cutting corners & making a name for themselves. Well, they've already made the name & they were called & voted on that. If they want to survive they need to get with the program or be "buried out"

Barry