D-Day for States

Today is when the gong strikes 12 for various statehouses who have spent most of this decade on an extended bender.

Indiana is one of five states -- along with Arizona, California, Mississippi and Pennsylvania -- bracing for possible shutdowns this week as time runs out for lawmakers to close billion-dollar gaps in their fiscal 2010 budgets.

Of the 46 states whose fiscal year ends today, 32 did not have budgets passed and approved by their governors as of Monday afternoon, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In the headline-making train wreck of California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, several years too late, appears to be pushing for significant cuts in public-sector pensions, and digging in his heels against a dominant Democratic Party that keeps sending him tax hikes.

"I will never sign those kind of things, so why waste the time and why run out of time and then all of a sudden we have to hand out the IOUs?" Schwarzenegger told reporters. […]

Schwarzenegger has drawn several lines in the sand: He says he will not raise taxes, wants to address California's entire projected $24-billion deficit at once and wants a number of fundamental changes to state government.

Reason on "failed states" here.

Comments

[Spoonman]

Didn't Pennsylvania shut down last year, too?

[Pro Libertate]

Roll
Back
Spending
to
2005
Levels.

Problem solved.

[Nick]

Is NY saving any money by being in lockdown?

[jsh]

Problem solved.

That would set a bad precedent and therefore won't happen. The Breshnev Doctrine in action.

[DHS Thinks I\'m a Terrorist]

Awwww, poor babies. One think about states versus the Federal Government is they can't print money so it is more difficult to mask financial problems.

I only pray the Federal Government doesn't save them with their allotment of our stolen money.

[DHS Thinks I\'m a Terrorist]

change "think" to "thing" above.

[Pro Libertate]

jsh,

I know. Notice how little this option is discussed, unless you hang around libertarians and their ilk. Very troubling. What expanded or new service that came into being in the last 3-4 years is critical? Especially considering that the population in most states couldn't have increased much in that little time. Seemed like we were staggering along okay back then without freeing prisoners and imprisoning children.

[Warty]

Sounds like Arnold's trying real hard to salvage his governorship in the 11th hour. Good luck to him, I guess.

[Kevin]

Here in Arizona, our idiot accidental Governor-Jan Brewer is pushing a "temporary" sales tax increase. I am fed up with these state governments running these budget shortfalls. Instead of cutting spending and living with their means like the majority of us, they always, always talk about ways to generate "revenue".

Yesterday, the teachers union thugs were out at there at the state capitol protesting with their human shields, Uh! I mean school children. As we all know, it is all about the children.

Please Governor Brewer put your "temporary" tax increase on the ballot so that I can vote it down. I am also looking forward to Brewer's reelection so that I cast a vote to throw her ass out of office!

[hammeredHead]

I am also looking forward to Brewer's reelection so that I cast a vote to throw her ass out of office!

I prefer the Honduran option; throw them out and deport them.

[Xeones]

I prefer the Honduran option; throw them out and deport them.

To where? Who'd take in these assclowns?

[Naga Sadow]

Xeones,

Obviously, Chavez would welcome them with open arms.

[hammeredHead]

Thanks Naga for answering a very difficult question. I was stumped.

[Naga Sadow]

These things just come to me.

[KingShamus]

I like how the Governator passed zillion dollar do-gooder enviro and stem-cell research funding bills a few years back.

Only now, in this late hour, does Schwarzenegger think cutting spending is a good idea.

Where was this guy when his clone from "The Sixth Day" was pushing for gargantuan spending programs? The dude has absolutely no political courage or conviction. I know...surpise, surprise.

[Invisible Finger]

Sounds like Arnold's trying real hard to salvage his governorship in the 11th hour. Good luck to him, I guess.

Sounds to me like he knows he won't be back for another term so why kiss ass?

[Dee]

I don't know about the rest of you be I am reveling in all this as we knew it had to happen eventually and finally it has. Shut it down, shut them all down and lets see who really suffers. I recall they shut the Fed government down for a few days in the 90's. Funny thing the sun still came up, I still had to go to work and they still hit my check for the full weeks income taxes even though they were closed. Not a single thing changed for me had I not known they shut down I never would have known they shut down.

Let them all shut down for 3 or 4 months and maybe people will realize nothing changed. The only people who will notice are those with their hands out sucking off the government teet. As for them ah I really could give a shit if they suffer.

[John]

Dee,

That is the thing, the government leeches are terrified of a government shutdown because it would put lie to all their scare tactics and horror stories. Most of that money is being wasted and stolen. Shut off the spigget and only the theives will feel the pinch.

[Rhywun]

Didn't Schwarzenegger already try to slip a bunch of cost-cutting measures past the voters a couple years ago? And they basically told him to fuck off? He's not all tax-and-spend.

[Fascitis Necrotizante]

Who'd take in these assclowns?

I'd say Bermuda or Palau, but that seems too good for them. Maybe Yemen?

[DHS Thinks I\'m a Terrorist]

Does anyone have stats on taxes in Hondurus? That place is starting to look good. I mean at least their Congress respects the Constitution and they can get rid of a President who violates it. I might brush up on my Spanish and move there if the taxes are better than here.

[Mike M.]

That is the thing, the government leeches are terrified of a government shutdown because it would put lie to all their scare tactics and horror stories. Most of that money is being wasted and stolen. Shut off the spigget and only the theives will feel the pinch.

Let all the worthless goldbrickers eat cake, or move to Vegas and get a real job somewhere.

[Brandybuck]

What pisses me off more than anything is the blackmail that some along with the budget. "Meet our demands or we'll lay off all the firefighters and cops, bulldoze all the schools, and send out crews to dig up new potholes in the freeways!"

There are a gazillion places to cut spending without deliberately endangering the public. Like firing half the administrators in every department.

[Brandybuck]

Yesterday, the teachers union thugs were out at there at the state capitol protesting with their human shields, Uh! I mean school children.

Teachers who bring their pupils to participate in protests should have their kneecaps broken.

[brotherben]

We can't let California fail. They are the model for cap and trade and we need to see how that turns out.

[alan]

Wanna see something that will realy get your teeth gnashing. Some greasy, life hating hippie got a haircut, donned a boyscout uniform, and started typing. From my local fish wrap this morning:

Don't buy all the myths; government does work

Mary Bonaccorsi's letter (June 24), which praises Medicare coverage, is about as contrary to popular myth as one can get. "Government can't run anything properly," the myth goes, "Just name one thing they can!"

Yet my 89-year-old father-in-law, like Ms. Bonaccorsi, says Medicare has been a blessing to him and has never let him down.

Every day my mail comes without fail and when I go to the post office I am helped by friendly and efficient workers.

Every month like clockwork Social Security deposits a check for my disabled sister out of those same funds we talked about giving to the Wall Street whizzes four years ago. Just think what Bernie Madoff would have done with that.

My country is defended by the best military in the world, thanks to our government. My house is protected from burning down by the efficiency with which our local government runs the fire department, and every time I ride in my car, I do so on roads paved by my government.

The well-lobbied health care industry is now mounting a fierce campaign to frighten us into preserving the status quo. Don't buy their myths.

[Patrick R]

You guys always seem to forget about Nevada. We grew our government faster than California (or any other state probably)...we had a 36% spending in crease on one budget alone!!!! And then when the economy backfired the state said they wanted a billion more than what they spent the previous year. In all we got a 21% tax hike so they could sustain current spending!

[Jennifer]

Every day my mail comes without fail and when I go to the post office I am helped by friendly and efficient workers.

True anecdote: Last night I checked my mailbox, one of six clearly labeled on the front of my building, and found three pieces of mail. NOT ONE was mine or my boyfriend's. For that matter, no two pieces of mail were sent to the same address: I found a cable bill for apartment B2, a credit card bill for apartment A2, and a piece of junk mail for apartment A1.

every time I ride in my car, I do so on roads paved by my government.

And I suspect but cannot prove that the local tire-balancers' guild has bribed the local government to ignore this past winter's crop of potholes. There's this particularly bad one that's impossible to avoid if you go in or out of my driveway; if I took it upon myself to fill it with gravel and smooth it out I'd be arrested for vandalism, or Paving Without A License, or some such thing.

[Rich]

> True anecdote: Last night I checked my mailbox, one of six clearly labeled on the front of my building, and found three pieces of mail. NOT ONE was mine or my boyfriend's.

So there was no mail for you yesterday. That's not the fault of the USPS. Quit whining! 😉

[Crusader Rabbit]

What expanded or new service that came into being in the last 3-4 years is critical?

Right on the money, Pro. If the government of California stopped tomorrow (which it may do), there would be virtually no effect on anyone except those who live off of taxpayer dollars.

Remember when Orange County went bankrupt? Neither does anyone else. Let's try it at the state level; it could be the best solution of all.