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Show DAILY AS Sunday, October M, 2009 HERALD State budgets get adrenaline shot from clunkers The extra money may be a help, but state budget officials say it's minor compared with their huge problems. Kentucky officials have warned that until unemployment improves about 1 1 percent of state residents arejyw tax revenues will jobless remain in the doldrums. In Michigan, where the state sales tax is the major source of aid for schools, lawmakers gling with big shortfalls. proposed cutting $218 per pupil Kentucky reported that estimated that clunkers' taxes propped up its from the aid the state governthe average .clunker sales Road Fund, which supports the ment gives to local school disAssociated Press tile photo price was $26,321, meaning tricts. That's despite the clunkstate's network of roadways. Vehicles turned In during the Cash for Clunkers program are seen roughly $18 billion worth of ers money and extra vehicle Motor vehicle usage taxes sales tax revenue from laid-of- f at the Riverside Auto Mali in Marquette, Mich., in September. new vehicles were sold under grew 11.4 percent to $36 milauto workers who got vouchthe program Multiplied by the lion in August, helping keep ers for new cars as part of their average combined state and lo- the fund flat for the month. severance. Sales tax collections cal sales tax of 7.5 percent, the The state estimates it can now Like most governments, severe for one government total tax bill amounts to a loose afford to see receipts fall more are still down 9 percent. O'Fallon suffered during the program to fix. is not to be Auto sales nationally fell 41 estimate of $1.36 billion. recession as people facing job than 4 percent for the rest of But here's some perspective fiscal year and still meet its sneezed at," Dean Rich, finance losses, reduced pay, lost homes percent from August to Septhe budget shortfall of Michi- budget forecasts. director of O'Fallon, 111., said and general unease over the tember, a drop caused largely of the city's expected tax gain economy snapped their wallets gan alone, the symbolic heartby people who would have norLegislative estimates in land of the U.S. auto industry, state from its 16 car dealerships. But shut. That means big drops the show mally waited a few months to Michigan may amounts to $2.8 billion. And it have taken in $39 million from buy a new vehicle rushing in to it's not enough to prevent a job in sales tax, which makes up freeze and cuts to capital projtake advantage of the federal around half of many state bud- pales in comparison to the $240 Cash for Clunkers. About a ects for the town of 29,000. gets. Sales of cars and trucks, billion that states collected in to- third of that money is devoted program's big rebates. That hangover showed up in items with high price tal general sales taxes in 2008. "It's not the windfall that is to education. Massachusetts' sales tax collecMassachusetts reported "That's more than a drop going to fix the $1 million short- tags, are a big component of in the bucket ... but not much tions last month, which were 5 that motor vehicle sales tax age we have this year," he said. sales tax collections. revenue rose nearly 36 percent percent below forecasts. That in August from a year earlier, worries Robert Bliss, a spokeshigher than the state's monthly man for the state revenue department. target. That gain, combined "Has the pool been drained with a rise in the overall sales as a result of this program for tax that month, pushed vehicle tax collections above the the next couple of months? That is the question," he said. monthly goal. Cash for Clunkers held some customers bought promise nearly 700,000 new vehicles during late July and August, taking advantage of rebates of up to $4,500 on new cars in return for trading in their older vehicles. The program ended up tripling the size of its original $1 billion price tag due to its broad popularity. For government budget offices, that represented some rare good news. The auto forecaster Stephen Manning ?Ht AWIANDHklV. WASHINGTON Struggling states and towns got a dose of badly needed money this summer from a Cash for Clunkers program that poured hundreds of millions of dollars of tax revenue into their budgets. Now. like the auto industry, recession-ravage- d governments are seeing revenue full off as car buyers take a breather from the frenzied sales of July and August. That meaas less money for schools, roads, public safety and other projects thut get much of their funding f rom sales t ax collect ions. And while officials welcomed the shot in the arm, the extra clunkers money won't come close to filling the gaping holes in their budgets or do much to solve the worst revenue downturn in decades. "It is chump change," said David Zin, an economist with the Michigan state senate's fiscal agency. State and city officials say their budget problems are too more for state budgets." said Robert Ward, director of fiscal studies for the Rockefeller Institute of Government In New York. The taxes brought in by clunkers offered a summer shot of adrenaline for most states. often earmarked The funds for school aid, highway repairs came and law enforcement at a time when they, were strug- . "Fifty-thousan- d big-tick- ttHQDM,mtMi.MNTildfe GENIFIQUE Congress set to act to keep detainee abuse photos hidden Youth Activating Concentrate your genes. Reactive It. See visibly In Just 7 days. 1 0 Years of Research skin younger 7 International Patents Youth Is in NewlJustArrlvedl Mark Sherman GENIFIQUE EYE Youth Activating Eye Concentrate ' 0.5oz.,$59. GENIFIQUE Youth Activating Concentrate lfl.oz$78.1.7fl.oz..$98. LANCOME PARIS w A. III Genrfique Youth Activating 2 Concentrate 7 6Definlclls'. High Resolution Serum Color Design Eye Shadow Quad In Strappy Sandals, Dirty Pink. Effortless, One gift per 3Absolue Collaser-5- 8 Guest Ust person, please, while supplies Color Design Eye Shadow Quad In Daylight, Vue, Drama, Amethyst Charm n Otllartfs Cnrdmorotwr? 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The photographs at issue fight over the photographs' were taken by service memrelease that has reached the bers in Iraq and Afghanistan Supreme Court. Federal courts have so far and were part of criminal inrejected the government's arvestigations of alleged abuse. guments against the release of Some pictures show "soldiers 21 color photographs showing pointing pistols or rifles at the heads of hooded and handprisoners in Afghanistan and cuffed detainees," Solicitor Iraq being abused by Americans. General Elena Kagan said in The Obama administration the appeal to the high court. believes giving the imminent In one, "a soldier holds a broom as if 'sticking its end grant of authority over the release of such pictures to the into the rectum of a restrained defense secretary would short-circu- it detainee,' " Kagan said, quota lawsuit filed by the ing from an investigation American Civil Liberties Union report prepared by the Pentaunder the Freedom of Informa- gon. Two investigations led to criminal charges and conviction Act. The White House is asking tions, she said. the justices to put off considKagan said the military has identified more than two dozen eration of the case until after additional pictures that could a vote on the measure in the House and Senate, as early as be affected by the court's rulthis coming week. The proviing. sion is part of a larger homeThe government made much land security spending bill the same argument to prevent and would allow the defense the release of 87 photographs and other images of detainees secretary to withhold photographs relating to detainees by at detention facilities in Iraq certifying their release would and Afghanistan, including Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. endanger soldiers or other International outrage resultgovernment workers. ed when photographs from the The ACLU said the court should not disturb a ruling by Iraqi prison showing physical abuse and sexual humiliation of the federal appeals court in New York ordering the photoinmates that took place under the Bush administration were graphs' release. The pending congressional action "does not revealed. One picture showed a naked, hooded prisoner on a supply any reason for delay," box with wires fastened to his Jameel Jaffer, director of AC-Llnational security project, hands and genitals. told the court. The government dropped The dispute is on a list of its appeal related to those cases the Supreme Court could photographs after they were made public and posted on the act on Tuesday. Lower courts have ruled that Internet. a provision of FOIA allows, The ACLU, in seeking the documents to be withheld from other pictures, said the govthe public for security reasons ernment had long argued that the abuse at Abu Ghraib was only in instances where there isolated and was an aberration. are specific threats against individuals. The new photos would show President Barack Obama that the abuse was more wideinitially indicated he would not spread, the ACLU said. THE certain restrictions apply We Specialize In Minor Repair ' of All Makes and Models , yf Most Insurance Accepted Full Service Auto Body nepair nam UT aiz inausmai pan arm area, 801-224-7B- B4 84S57 |