Bloody Blues

clipped from www.ft.com California has been garnering a lot of unwanted attention recently over the dire condition of its public finances. While California may be the most visible example - it is issuing IOUs to creditors instead of cash - our map shows that other states across the US have budgetary troubles. Lawmakers in several US states have failed to agree on spending cuts amid falls in revenue from income and property taxes. States faced a cumulative budget gap of $121bn this year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, a research group. These states are now having to make difficult decisons, including cutting spending on essential services such as healthcare, education and welfare. Even if spending cuts are made, the fiscal outlook remains uncertain. Which one may be the next to follow California’s unenviable example of issuing IOUs to students and cancer patients? Our interactive graphic shows the “state of the states”, and shows those in most trouble.

Click over and check out the map. It's pretty striking what's happening the big Democratic welfare states.