And local leaders say that because the riders are mostly black, the cuts raise broad issues of social justice.
The parameters the governor laid out suggest two main themes: cuts in core state services and a reluctance to raise taxes.
The cuts raised an outcry that echoed for years, particularly because the cardinal was the head of the bishops' conference when he ordered them.
Clinton told the state executives the cuts could force deep cuts in domestic programs and raise interest rates.
No serious economist would argue that a cut this small could raise national saving, investment and growth.
Other experts theorized that the cuts would automatically raise the percentage of positions filled, because of supply and demand.
But he acknowledged that the cuts would probably "raise the odds of not meeting the standards," with more failures and dropouts in the future.
Such cuts, they know, will not raise the uproar that occurs whenever sports-related funds are axed.
A cut in the capital gains rate would probably raise stock prices, and with them, taxable capital gains.
He says the cuts would in fact raise local taxes, overburdening middle-class homeowners.