We hate to say we told you so, but…
Most significantly, the blue-state financial misery continues and deepens the ideological crisis of American liberalism. Few politicians in traditionally liberal states now speak about the expanding promise of progressive government and the welfare state. New Jersey is already in conservative revolt. New York’s Democratic governor-elect, Andrew Cuomo, campaigned on a promise of budget cuts without tax increases. The New York congressional delegation shifted significantly in a Republican direction. While California remains in denial — even after a budget crisis that has lasted for a decade — that could rapidly change as well. It may be Democratic governors who are forced by economic reality to limit the size and ambitions of government, delivering a body blow to liberalism itself. If progressive activism can’t survive in these places, it will be difficult for it to survive anywhere.
Yes, well, while boys are being rowdy I’m out expanding my horizons.
Of course, sometimes what’s just over the horizon isn’t always “upbeat”!
TT, you turned up some interesting finds today. The scale-of-the-universe video #70 was very upbeat, and the gripper in #96 is bizarre.
Also thanks for dressing down the rowdy boys.
I found this interesting. A simple yet ingenious solution to a potentially complicated problem. AND it is more functional than the usual “hand”.
TT #70;
That was very cool.
Texas Shows How to Grow Jobs How did Texas beat California? The answer is simple. Texas has marshaled its vast natural and human resources to grow its economy, while California has wasted its resources. Along the same lines, Texas has bested New York as well, both on the field and in the marketplace. Jobs leave New York and come to… Read more »
Must be for old times’ sake.
Little do they know that I have removed their Playstations and Xboxes and confiscated their Ipods and mp3 players! Oh, and the tv/dvd player has no remote.
Wagon #90. Mom’s not so smart. All our good stuff is in our room, and she didn’t even find the big scratch we put in the side of her armoire. A really mean mom sends you outside to pull weeds by hand and trim the curb with clippers.
Careful y’all.
I think she means bizness.
If I were your mother….. I get back from running errands and find ya’ll on the floor rasslin’ and cussin’ each other. It looks like you broke a lamp and knocked over a chair. Now, both of you stop it. Admit you’re not going to convince each other and shake hands. Behave nicely and I won’t send you to your… Read more »
#86 – Well there ya GO!
Perry, like the rest of the Establishment Republicans, is part of the problem unless they get the message just sent.
But coming within $2 billion of the projected revenue in an economy like the one we’ve had this year is one whole lot better than any other state is doing.
Katfish #83, you don’t have to make him an honorary Dem:
In 1984, Perry was elected to the Texas House of Representatives as a Democrat from a district (64) that included his home county of Haskell.
My contention is that many Texans simply aren’t aware of this and that in itself is a shame. The fact that I have to argue it here with informed people proves that point. So you lie to us to make sure we understand? I don’t need to be told a lie to know that we definitely need to cut spending.… Read more »
Sarge, you can parse it all you want. The fact is, in the current budget period, Texas will have a multi-billion dollar budget deficit despite the balanced budget law. If you want to apply the “rainy day” funds to cover that shortfall(and I contend it will take most if not all of those funds to do so when the final… Read more »
I thought ole Guvnah Goodhair does a pretty fine job bashing HIMSELF.
If the dang Repubs had any integrity left they’d make Tricky Ricky an honorary Democrat and take back that R in front of his name.
Don’t make me call Rodney King to ask you all to get along. Perhaps you are all in need of a beer summit!!
Why are you name calling? Pinhead, childish and smart guy aren’t terms of endearment or the foundation of a sound argument. Neither is claiming that there’s an existing $25 billion deficit. I merely engaged in conversation on the terms you set. You didn’t come here to voice concern over the Texas budget. You came here to bash Perry, and used… Read more »
Hey Sarge, a friendly wager is just that – one side of the bet believes in one outcome and the other side doesn’t. There’s nothing offensive about it.
Why are you name calling? Pinhead, childish and smart guy aren’t terms of endearment or the foundation of a sound argument.
I’ll leave you to ponder that question.
Look smart guy.
All you did was prove you don’t know what you’re talking about what’s happening now.
Then using that as proof that you can see the future.
Sarge, the numbers aren’t just working against me. They’re working against all Texans and in a big way.
Sarge, is that like the one where Pelosi said Obamacare would cut the deficit?
Sarge, what are you so frightened of a friendly little wager about?
Pinhead and childish could be terms describing folks who won’t or can’t accept the reality of Texas bleak fiscal situation.
Just sayin’
I liked the one that ended up with Perry cutting $16 billion off the deficit in one year.
Tex, my business is off 35% from its 2008 highs. We pay a lot of sales taxes here. Everyone else in our industry(construction) is in the same boat. Other industries are also off varying degrees from 2008. Texas government is now starting to feel the effect of those numbers in a big way. That is the reality that will not… Read more »
#65 DJ minor correction: I don’t think Matt Angle was alive when Ronnie Dugger founded the Texas Observer in 1954, but I was 2 years old. Dugger and his silver spoon partners created the publication in Austin and Dugger, the biggest Lefty in Texas outside of Ramsey Clark, ran it for around 50 years. And no, I wouldn’t believe anything… Read more »
What the frik is it with you pin heads and your childish bets?
That always seems to be where you go when the numbers start working against you.
Sarge, you’re kidding, right?
Steak lunch at Taste of Texas says my predictions will be proved true.
What say you?
I can’t believe I just came upon this site!
DJ, don’t go away. Keep it in perspective.
Sarge & Lawrence I didn’t say anything about the budget deficit. What I did do was quote the Dallas Morning News about the alleged budget deficit. I don’t have the resources Dave Jennings does in Austin so I am inclined to believe what he says. I also well acquainted with the power of legislative staffers and their cozy relationship with… Read more »
The article is dated and the numbers are no longer accurate but the headline is… oh so appropriate. Thanks for providing the article. It certainly is dated. When ti was written, in July of 2010 it said: Texas: $18 billion shortfall (estimated) or about 20 percent of state spending. Then it said: A couple of caveats: Texas—as you probably know—budgets… Read more »
Simple, reasonable assumptions are not allowed in Texas. Hyperbole, ranting, and raving about things that do not exist are the norm. Just sayin’.
I’m glad these vigorous disagreements are happening in cyberspace and the combatants are not all in the same room somewhere.
Okay, LC, you proved me wrong, so I’ll just go away as promised.
BTW, you do know that the Texas Observer was started and funded by Matt Angle as part of the Texas Democratic Trust in their effort to turn Texas blue ala the Colorado model, right?
So adios and enjoy your day.
DJ, Sarge, et al I am not sure if Texas will have to raise taxes this time. Spending cuts seem to be a pretty sure thing. Texas and our legislature cannot accurately forecast how much money that the Feds will funnel back to us in the future. It seems a reasonable assumption that there will be less money coming back… Read more »
#62 Hammy
Well, SOMEONE has to.
;D
HAL is picking on Big45 today.
Sarge: http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/texas-budget-mess-now-as-bad-as-californias The article is dated and the numbers are no longer accurate but the headline is… oh so appropriate. I haven’t ditched anything – I’ll give you even odds the final numbers are worse than the article projects and that your “rainy day” fund gets completely doused with the current budget period shortfall. Care to put your money where… Read more »
Frikkin Lowrents ditching his source now that Texpat says there’s a $25 billion deficit deficit and his source says its only $2 billion.
Dude, where’s my deficit? Its in your source. Its 2 billion dollars and there’s 8 billion in the rainy day fund to cover it. Future deficits will be handled by the new Legislature that has 55 more Republicans in it now than it did when the Lege voted the current spending levels that resulted in a 2 billion dollar deficit.… Read more »
Hey Sarge, you might want to pull those wool blinders off and pull yourself out of that stupor you’re in. If Tex says there’s a deficit, that’s good enough for me. The next big awakening will come for you, Sarge, when you figure out that budget gap won’t be closed with spending cuts alone. Then, we’ll hear all the rationalizing… Read more »
Dude, where’s my deficit?
BBBBWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAA!
I know how to read and I’m no Perry shill.
Texas, we have a problem!
Ever since Perry and Darth Dewhurst stabbed us in the back on property taxes, I’ve not trusted one word they had to say. Not to mention the business grossed out income tax…err, gross receipts tax. I’d get if a panel of 12 Hambone bloggers sat down and looked at the state budget for a month, they could cut a heckuva… Read more »
Hammie, did I get moderated for some reason?
The only cure for liberalism is massive doses of consequences. And even then, it often times takes several treatments. And many are simply incurable.
Why should North Korea try to hurt us by printing 600 billion in counterfeit dollars when the Dems are perfectly willing to do it themselves?
#40 🙂 I like it.
DJ, the law didn’t prevent the current budget period from a multi-billion dollar deficit. so; You started at $25 billion, then “several billion” and now its “multi-billion” which is essentially correct if its the $2 billion DJ mentions (which is a fact). This is easily covered with the rainy day fund which your source says has $8 billion dollars in… Read more »
And no, LC, I am not a shill. Show me where I am wrong and I will shut up and go away. Promise.
Texpat, they are screaming because they do not want the FUTURE budget to be cut, they would much rather have taxes increased. They are thinking about all the spending they have and do not want their power to be diminished. There is, in plain fact, no budget deficit. And I guarantee you that there will not be a budget produced… Read more »
LC, screaming/wailing/caterwalling is already loud. I’m just pointing out the fact that there is no deficit.