Who will the budget cuts hit hardest?

As advocacy groups around the state absorb the two draft budgets proposed in Austin, it's clear that education and services for the poor and disabled stand to take some of the biggest hits.

The Senate proposal released this week proposes spending $158.7 billion for the 2012-13 biennium, a 15.4 percent reduction over current spending.

The slightly smaller House budget calls for spending $156.4 billion, a 16.6 percent decrease from the 2010-11 biennium.

Texas budget writers divide spending into nine groups. Here's a look at how the five biggest would be affected under both plans:

Two groups -- education and health & human services -- would see the biggest declines in spending. Of course, these are also the areas that consume the majority of the current budget.

For those curious, here's how the education cuts divide between public education and higher education:

As Star-Telegram Austin Bureau Chief Dave Montgomery recently reported, the cuts to public education could have a ripple effect. Austin Analyst Lynn Moak predicts the loss of 100,000 jobs in school districts across the state if the cuts are implemented.

And as Star-Telegram Reporter Alex Branch reported this week, advocates for the poor and the disabled say that cutting key safety net programs could end up costing more in the long-run that continuing to fund them. State budget proposals would cost Tarrant County's public hospital an estimated $8.5 million in annual Medicaid payments, while possibly steering more patients to the John Peter Smith Hospital emergency room and psychiatric ward, according to hospital officials.

Take a closer look at both graphs here and here.

-Aman Batheja

Comments

[Elisa Reyna]

I hope it gets better.

[Jim Mc]

Come on people, do you want more deficits? Everyone wants the "other guys" budget cut, not "ours". Get real. The irresponsible Legislators are the real culprits and they need to bleed the most. . . but won't.

[edhino]

start cutting rick perry monthly rent to 0 ,hell we pay 600 bucks onatract home why cant he ,/its not like hes royalty or something

[StopWaste]

For starters, Perry need to clean up the mess at the Texas Facilities Commission. Why should taxpayers pay for an agency that's paying managers higher salaries than the private sector ($80 to 120K managing warehouses, ground and parking management, building management etc... Go to the the Texas Tribune and and see the high salaries of TFC management - Its a joke that they have gotten this far with robbing the taxpayers). The state persevation board does the same function at a much lower cost. Duplicating high paid positions for the sake of taking care of Perry's friends is simply not feasable. We in the private sector have to work hard for our money and just showing up at a state job and collecting high salaries must stop. This a good start for cutting the fat. It is time to put a stop to paying well connected state workers our hard earned tax dolloars for them to snub their nose at us and live a better life: not worry about a pension, health benefits, vacations, great pay, etc... I throught the days of welfare was over. It was an uproar when the less fortunate was receiving welfare, but when it come to over paid friends of Perry not a word being said. Come on.... $80 to 120K for giving the well conected titles for being in charge of warehouses, garages, parking lots, and building maintenance is a joke. Lower level workers who are actually doing the work should maintain their jobs because in fact they actually do the work. TFC should be under Sunset review and desolved during this 82nd session because it is poorly ran and continue to receive poor results for efficiently and saving taxpayer dollars.

Multiply the duplication of non-essential positions state agencies are staffing high paid management by 20 agencies for basically showing up for a pay check and maybe someone will have the leadership to cut the budget equally across the board so every program can take the hit.