As of late, American voters seem more concerned with having revenue to invest in national priorities than in giving it away in the form of costly and regressive tax cuts. In recent elections, voters in California, Colorado, and Washington state rejected ballot measures that would have rolled back tax increases or limited state spending. Many believe that after September 11 and the Gulf Coast hurricanes, more Americans are starting to see the value of a strong government infrastructure which can adequately respond to public needs by providing safety and various other services. In the same vein, it is growing increasingly clear to many that the irresponsible and expensive tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 are not boosting economic performance, nor are they paying off well. As Allan Sloan mentions in a column in today's Washington Post, "Bush and the rest of the it's-always-a-good-day-to-cut-taxes crew are having trouble getting Congress to approve $70 billion of tax cuts (over five years) as part of the budget reconciliation process. These cuts would go primarily to upper-middle-income and rich taxpayers, while $35 billion of proposed cuts in benefits for food stamps, Medicaid and the like would affect mostly lower-income people. Some members of the House and Senate now seem to have realized how distasteful this combination is. As well they should." As Sloan goes on to mention, "Fallout from phony numbers [used to justify the tax cuts] and having to pay for Hurricane Katrina have stalled Washington's cut-taxes-and-borrow crew, at least temporarily." This is especially apparent on capital hill, where a number of Republicans are stepping in and saying "enough is enough." George Voinovich (R-OH) has already made it clear he is opposed to the $70 billion in tax cuts Congress is trying to pass in reconciliation, Olympia Snowe (R-ME) is opposed to the extension of capital gains and dividends extensions and is currently responsible for the gridlock in the Finance Committe, and a handful of House members such as Sherwood Boehlert have spoken out against excessive spending cuts.