A new analysis of the Texas state budget found that cuts in funding could end up costing Harris County, where Houston is located, about $50 million per year. That’s on top of the service cuts, layoffs, and furloughs the county is considering in order to cut 10 percent from its own $1.3 billion budget.

According to the Houston Chronicle, the State of Texas is currently facing a budget shortfall of $15 billion to $27 billion during the next two years. The initial draft of the budget does not increase taxes or use the rainy day fund, but includes deep cuts in such vital departments as public education and social services.

In Harris County, cuts in funding to bridge the state budget gap could effect everything from mental health services to auto theft prevention. As the state and county are forced to reduce costs, it’s inevitable that layoffs will have to be made.

Programs that are slated to lose funding so far include:

• Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority of Harris County – $13 million
• Harris County Sheriff’s Office Auto Theft Task Force – $1 million
• Harris County Juvenile Probation Department – $3 million

This is bad news for the Houston area, where the local economy as a whole is continuing to recover from the economic downturn. During December, the area’s unemployment rate dropped from 8.6 percent to 8.3 percent, which was below the national average at the time of 9.4 percent.

The Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown area employed a total of 2,542,600 workers during December, which is up from 2,534,500 workers during November and a .5 percent increase from the previous year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

However, the government industry continues to suffer the lasting effects of the recession. The industry employed 375,700 workers during December, which is down from 377,300 workers during November and a .3 percent decrease from the previous year.

That month, the San Antonio area’s unemployment rate increased from 7.2 percent to 7.3 percent, which follows a drop from 7.6 percent during September. Despite the latest jump, the area’s rate was still lower than the national average at the time of 9.6 percent.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the San Antonio-New Braunfels area employed a total of 837,700 workers during September, which is up from 835,000 workers during September and a .7 percent increase from last year.

Job gains in the government industry accounted for the majority of the city’s monthly employment growth, as the industry added 3,300 workers.

The education and health services industry increased by 800 jobs, while the professional and business services industry added 700 workers, and the information and financial activities industries increased by 100 job each.

Employment in the mining and logging and manufacturing industries remained even over the month with 3,700 jobs and 41,700 jobs, respectively.

The mining and logging industry added the most workers over the year, increasing by 12.1 percent between October 2009 and October 2010.

Six other industries saw an over-the-year increase in employment, including:

• Professional and business services by 1.7 percent to 100,300 jobs
• Government by 1.3 percent to 164,100 jobs
• Financial activities by 1.5 percent to 65,900 jobs
• Trade, transportation, and utilities by .9 percent to 144,900 jobs
• Education and health services by .6 percent to 124,500 jobs
• Leisure and hospitality by .5 percent to 98,500 jobs

When it comes to monthly job losses, four industries continued to suffer during October, including: leisure and hospitality by 1,800 jobs; construction by 200 jobs; other services by 200 jobs; and trade, transportation, and utilities by 100 jobs.

Four industries also experienced employment declines on a monthly basis. The information industry took the biggest hit, decreasing by 5.3 percent, for a current total of 18,000 jobs.

That was followed by the manufacturing industry, which declined by 1 percent to 41,700 jobs; the construction industry, which decreased by .9 percent to 45,700 workers; and the other services industry, which dropped by .7 percent to 30,400 jobs.

During June, the San Antonio-New Braunfels area’s unemployment rate increased from 7.1 percent to 7.7 percent, after decreasing from 7.3 percent during May. Despite the latest increase, the area’s rate is still lower than the national average of 9.5 percent.

The San Antonio area had a total non-farm employment of 838,100 workers during June, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 835,800 workers during May and only a .5 percent decrease from last year.

Only two industries lost jobs on a monthly basis during June, with the education and health services industry decreasing by 800 workers, and the government industry declining by 2,400 jobs.

Employment in the mining and logging and information industries remained even over the month with 3,500 jobs and 18,400 jobs, respectively.

The leisure and hospitality industry added the most workers between May and June, increasing by 2,200 jobs, for a total of 104,600 jobs.

Six other industries saw a monthly increase in employment, including: construction by 900 jobs; professional and business services by 900 jobs; trade, transportation and utilities by 600 jobs; other services by 500 jobs; financial activities by 300 jobs; and manufacturing by 100 jobs.

Four industries managed to add jobs over the year during June, with the mining and logging industry growing by 6.1 percent, accounting for the largest yearly increase. The government industry saw the second-largest increase, growing by 2.3 percent over the year, for a total of 163,000 jobs.

The education and health services industry increased by 1.1 percent over the year to 123,300 jobs, while the financial activities industry grew by .9 percent to 65,500 workers.

The information industry took the biggest hit over the year, losing 6.6 percent of its workforce between June 2009 and June 2010.

Other industries that saw an over-the-year decrease in employment include:

• Construction by 3.5 percent
• Manufacturing by 3 percent
• Other services by 2.8 percent
• Trade, transportation and utilities by 1.5 percent
• Leisure and hospitality by 1.4 percent
• Professional and business services by .8 percent

The Miami-Dade County Health Department and Florida International University are teaming up to create the state’s first Academic Health Sciences Center. As part of the effort, the health department will consolidate its administrative and program offices, currently housed at eight locations, at FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus.

“Through this partnership, we can cut costs and become a more efficient department,” MDCHD Administrator Lillian Rivera said in a press release.

The consolidation is expected to save at least $8 million during the next 25 years, generate 66,000 new jobs, and have a yearly economic impact of more than $8.9 million by 2005. It will cost about $32.5 million to fund construction of the 90,000-square-foot building, according to the South Florida Business Journal.

That funding is currently included in the 2010-2011 budget that has already been approved by the Florida Legislature. After receiving approval from Gov. Charlie Crist, the building will be financed through a bond and repaid through Department of Health lease payments.

The part of the new complex that will house the health department also will include the previously-funded $23.3 million Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work academic facility, as well as the new $10 million ambulatory care center funded by a grant from Miami-Dade County, both of which are in the planning and design stages.

The partnership between FIU and the MDCHD also will provide the opportunity to create internships, which would allow FIU students to work with public health experts in a clinical and research environment, and better their chances of future employment.

“This is the kind of innovative, mutually-beneficial, strategic partnership that will enhance the education of our students with real life experience,” Fernando Treviño, dean of the Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, said. “At the same time, it will improve the local state-run health facilities and save the state significant money. It’s a win-win situation.”

Check out this recruiting video for FIU:

City officials have announced that they will consider relying on employee attrition, efficiency gains from technology and money from a reserve fund to make up for about $7.5 million missing from Houston’s budget this fiscal year.

“I think we’re on the front end of recovery as opposed to the middle or the end,” Controller Ronald C. Green told Bloomberg. “If the trends continue in the direction that they’re going, we will be in a little more of a dire situation.”

During November 2009, the City of Houston brought in $33.9 million in sales tax revenue, an 18.5 percent decrease from the previous year. According to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, that decline was the result of employers cutting jobs and the public spending less at retail shops and restaurants.

Houston’s current budget is at about $1.9 billion. The city has a reserve of about $170 million after using $52 million from that fund so far this year. City officials are not expecting to cut jobs or raise taxes, but residents may see an increase in some fees – particularly water and sewer fees – to make up for the needed money.

On the employee side, officials are considering filling fewer job openings throughout most areas of city government. There could be some big problems with this solution, however, as some departments are already asking for more workers.

For instance, the Houston Police Department has reported needing about 1,000 more officers during the next six years. The city is planning to conduct a performance audit on the department’s purchasing and payroll operations in hopes they can become more efficient instead of hiring more employees.

In an additional effort to make money, the city is considering selling pension-obligation bonds to help pay for pensions, as well as refinancing other debt to lower borrowing costs.

“The revenue forecast for the current budget is hopeful and promising,” Gov. Bill Ritter said. “It’s the best forecast we’ve seen in almost two years, and it indicates that our strategies are working and the economy is slowly beginning to stabilize. However, one improved forecast does not stability make.

Ritter warns that the economy still remains volatile and that officials need to continue being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and continue making the fair, balanced and responsible decisions they have been making since the recession began.

Colorado has already cut spending and closed budget shortfalls of $2.2 billion for the 2009 to 2010 fiscal year and $1.3 billion for the 2010 to 2011 fiscal year. Ritter’s office is preparing those cuts and will submit them to the Colorado General Assembly‘s Joint Budget Committee in November.

“Today’s forecast does not show declining revenue, but it does show essentially a flat line, and that’s not a good enough trajectory to keep pace with rising Medicaid caseloads, with rising human services costs and with inflation,” Ritter said. “In addition, Recovery Act funding runs out at the end of FY10-11, meaning that FY11-12 will be a very, very difficult year.

“Again, today’s news is hopeful and encouraging,” he continued. “We’re positioning Colorado for a sustainable and healthy recovery. But we are not out of the woods. We still have tough times ahead and more difficult decisions to make.”

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa recently announced that the City of Los Angeles will eliminate 1,000 jobs in order to cope with an ongoing budget crisis. The city is currently facing a budget shortfall of $212 million this year and $484 million during the fiscal year beginning July 1. The layoffs are expected to save up to $50 million this fiscal year.

“We’re living beyond our means, we have difficult choices to make, we must protect our economic future,” Villaraigosa said. “Unfortunately, instead of making progress, we are headed in the wrong direction. That ends today.”

According to an article by the Los Angeles Times, one day before Villaraigosa announced his decision, the City Council delayed action on the job cuts for 30 days. Fortunately, some employees may remain employed by being moved to other vacant positions.

Villaraigosa’s budget team found that up to 360 workers could be moved into other jobs not affected by the budget crisis. Those positions would be in such agencies as Los Angeles World Airports and the Department of Water and Power, which are not included in the general fund.

The layoffs would immediately affect employees who belong to the Engineers and Architects Association, which represents about 6,500 city workers, as well as those who are not represented by any union. Villaraigosa is barred from laying off workers with the Coalition of L.A. City Unions, which represents about 22,000 civilian employees.

“Earlier this week, I urged city leaders to enact a package of cost cuttings and revenue options, that when added to the elimination of 1,000 city positions will balance our budget, replenish our reserve fund and will maintain our good credit rating,” Villaraigosa said in a statement on his Web site. “Ending the fiscal year with little or no reserves is absolutely unacceptable.”

The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale area’s government industry employed 599,500 workers during December 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 600,000 workers during November and a 1.6 percent decrease from December 2008.

Phoenix serves as the state capital and home of the state legislative branch. That branch is made up of the state House of Representatives, which has 60 members, and the state Senate, which has 30 members. Arizona is split into 30 legislative districts, each of which elects one senator and two representatives.

According to Wikipedia, all legislators are elected to two-year terms and are limited to serving four consecutive terms, although there are no limits on the total number of terms a legislator can serve. Republicans currently hold the majority of seats in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

The state executive branch is run by a governor, who is elected to a four-year term and can serve no more than two terms in a row, but can serve any number of total terms. Jan Brewer, who currently serves as the governor of Arizona, accounts for the state’s fourth female governor, which is more than any other state has had. Janet Napolitano, the previous governor, now serves as the secretary of Homeland Security.

Other elected officials in the executive branch and the people currently serving in those seats include:

• Secretary of State – Ken Bennett
• Attorney General – Terry Goddard
• State Treasurer – Dean Martin
• Superintendent of Public Instruction – Tom Horne
• State Mine Inspector – Joe Hart
• Corporation Commission – Gary Pierce, Kristin Mayes, Bob Stump, Sandra D. Kennedy and Paul Newman

All of these officials are elected to a four-year term and can only serve two consecutive terms, except for the state mine inspector, who is exempt from term limits.

Arizona is one of only eight states that does not elect a lieutenant governor. The secretary of state is first in line to succeed the governor, followed by the attorney general, state treasurer and superintendent of public instruction.

The state judicial branch is headed by the Arizona Supreme Court, which is the highest court in the state. The court has appellate jurisdiction in death penalty cases, original jurisdiction in some other circumstances, and has the power to declare laws unconstitutional.

The court is made up of a chief justice, a vice chief justice and three associate justices. All justices are appointed by the governor from a list recommended by a bi-partisan commission and are re-elected after the first two years, with subsequent re-elections occurring every six years.

The Arizona Court of Appeals, which serves as the intermediate court in the state, handles most other appellate cases. The court is divided into two divisions: Division One, which is based in Phoenix, and Division Two, which is based in Tucson.

Division One consists of 16 judges and has jurisdiction in the western and northern regions of the state, as well as the greater Phoenix area. Division Two consists of six judges and has jurisdiction over the southern regions of the state and the Tucson area.

In addition, each county in Arizona has a superior court, with the state currently having 16 counties. The size and organization of those courts are varied depending on the size of the county.

When it comes to federal government, Arizona is represented by two senators and eight representatives. The state was granted two extra seats in the House of Representatives following the 2000 Census.

The Senate seats are currently filled by Republican John McCain and Republican Jon Kyl. The House of Representative seats are currently filled by: Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick, Republican Trent Franks, Republican John Shadegg, Democrat Ed Pastor, Democrat Harry Mitchell, Republican Jeff Flake, Democrat Raul Grijalva and Democrat Gabrielle Giffords.

As for political affiliation, the state went from being dominated by the Democratic Party from statehood through the late 1940s to consistently voting for Republicans since 1952, with the only exception being Bill Clinton during the 1996 presidential election.

At the state level, there is a political rivalry between Maricopa County and Pima County, the state’s two largest counties. Maricopa County – which is home to Phoenix, about 60 percent of the state’s population and most of the state’s elected officials – has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1948. Pima County – which is home to Tucson – is considered to be more Democratic.