"No one, especially me, likes raising taxes or implementing painful cuts, but we are in a difficult spot living in the aftermath of year of budget gimmicks and tricks," Edwards said. "It is time for all of us to make the tougher, wiser choices now, rather than the easier choices that feel good now but would hurt our state long-term. Doing the right thing will allow us to fund our priorities through 2017 when the legislature will convene and consider a comprehensive restructuring of the state's tax code that will end the practices of sending hard-earned tax dollars to programs that simply aren't benefiting our people."