1. - Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Mar 10, 10 @ 1:02 am:

   Ok, I listened to the whole thing while working. They did a pretty credible job of laying out the numbers and to quote Denny Green, they are what we thought they were. I particularly thought they did a nice job eventually of explaining why they didn’t cut more (don’t know why they didn’t do it at the beginning) so take that Sen. Brady.

   Obviously these numbers are a set-up to Pat saying to the legislature tomorrow, add more debt or add more revenue. It’s your choice.

   I’m not sure how this fits with the six month budget everyone’s been talking about. But no new revenues, $2 billion in cuts, $10+ billion borrowing to fill the hole including $4.6 billion in new borrowing which will likely be in “intermediate term (ie 10-15 year)” debt.

   Gotta love the idea of financing today’s operations with ten year long debt. It’s almost like taking a 75 year lease on an asset so you can raise some quick cash to plug a one-year hole.

   What a legacy this government are leaving our children, and all because the GA (and Rod) has been punting the ball down the road so long so it wouldn’t have to bite the bullet on tax increases. The result? A mountain of debt and interest payments larger than the entire corrections budget.

   But wait a minute. The Senate bit the bullet last year and voted for a tax increase. The governor proposed tax increases but didn’t have the political muscle or finesse to get them done. So which chamber is acting most irresponsibly? Which indeed…

   I never thought I’d see it, but I predict as an unintended consequence of this nonsense, a growing movement for term limits. You heard it here first.




2. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Mar 10, 10 @ 7:32 am:

   Great stuff with the video. The absolute go-to source for state government and politics. You can’t get it anywhere else.

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