So, do we really have a $5.7 Billion deficit?

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Fascinating vignette over at the EFF Blog:

2) Many of the budget fixes outlined in the governor’s draft supplemental budget amount to accounting gimmicks and delays that push problems into the next budget. Though we agree the incoming budget problem is substantial, a projected $5.7 billion deficit for the 2011-13 budget means the state would need $38.3 billion to keep up with planned spending levels. That amounts to a 26 percent increase over the current $30.5 billion budget. We believe the problem is not so large if the governor and legislators look at outcomes to determine spending priorities rather than considering everything in the budget mandatory.

26%? Seriously?

Fine.

Declare a fiscal emergency, tear up the union contracts and cut their pay enough to make up the shortfall.

That will move their pay and benefits down to a more realistic figure, and the people (You DO remember "The People," don't you, Government? We're why you're here, remember?() won't get raped... well, more then we are getting raped, anyway, by the privileged few who sneer at Obama's so-called "shared sacrifice."

Then we won't have a fake deficit, like this one appears to be.

And we may HAVE a deficit, but it by no means needs to be as big as it is apparently, falsely, portrayed.
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