No, $500 million DO NOT have to be raised, at all. If the state is not taking in enough money to cover it's desires, it should do what I do, stop spending!

By definition, Tennessee's sales tax is indexed to inflation and the state's economy. It generates revenue based on what the population can afford. If the tax revenue drops, the state's spending should drop the same amount.

While I support and applaud our state's efforts to keep the federal government out of the state, TennCare is an unjustified monster. It's budget is $2.7 BILLIOn!!! Cut the $500 million from that (or more) and get it back to the minimums required by the feds for Medicare.

I'm just sick to death of taxes and even sicker of governments that force me to support every deadbeat that won't work and keeps having babies to get a "raise"!