Editorial: Trump's rescue plan would let state and local governments drown in red ink (via latimesopinion)
The pandemic rages on. Millions of laid-off Americans teeter on the edge of financial disaster now that extended unemployment benefits have ended. The courts and homeless shelters are preparing for a tsunami of evictions now that federal eviction moratoriums have expired. State and local governments are facing layoffs and service cuts because tax revenue has plummeted.
The orders earn Trump a participation trophy, but not much beyond that. He simply doesn’t have the authority to do much of what needs to be done now, which is to spend, spend, spend. Congress holds the purse strings, and so far lawmakers haven’t been able to make a deal. Take, for example, his move to extend unemployment benefits. Trump couldn’t revive the $600-per-week supplement with the stroke of a pen; instead, he invited states toto use for extra benefits. The catch: The benefits would go up only $400 a week, and cash-starved states would have to cover a quarter of the cost. If the states can’t pay, their residents won’t get the extra aid. The cost to California, whereSimilarly, Trump can’t unilaterally cut payroll taxes, he can just delay their collection.
A big sticking point in the negotiations over the next relief bill has been the Democrats’ demand for money to help cities and states avoid brutal budget cuts. GOP leaders have been cool to the idea, with Trump saying last month that he didn’t want to “reward badly run radical left Democrats.”
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