Currently, the State of Washington is facing a 1.3 Billion shortfall in the next two years budget. The Yakima Herald has a neat little program that lets you take a shot at balancing the budget yourself.
The truth is, it's not tough to fix if you don't care about being a human or being re-elected. Cut, cut, cut, and extend a few 'temporary' taxes, and that 1.3 Billion goes away in a hurry. It's when you start thinking emotionally that things get tough. I mean, no one really wants to cut money for the elderly, or lunches for poor kids, or pay teachers less. However, I get a little uptight at at the thought of adding new taxes, even though adding the proposed capital gains tax would wipe the 1.3 billion deficit right off the table.
It's easy to think like a politician. Even I found myself thinking things like 'hey, extending the temporary 50-cent a gallon beer tax' isn't the same as adding
new taxes. I drink a lot of beer, and even I don't have the date circled at the end of the year when the price of a 6-pack drops 20 cents.
Still, once you start thinking that way, it's tough to stop. You go back and look at the capital gains tax again. It's not like it's an income tax...this is extra money beyond tnat...and only rich folks need to worry about that. Plus, they were smart enough to exempt house sales from the proposal, you know, in case the market ever turns around and houses are worth more two years from now than they are today.
I'm looking forward to when I am Dictator-in-Chief...then I won't need to worry about keeping anyone happy.
Except Mrs. Dictator-in-Chief.
If you have ever spoken with a wizened social worker (my brother was the head of that in two different counties after a lifetime as a social worker), or seen some of the deeper details on things, or even who gets much of the assistants (seen em' in fancy new cars) cutting really isn't a problem. It's when you try to think with your heart, leaving your mind out of it, that gets these parasites stuck on stupid.
ReplyDeleteThe more they dole out, the more secure their position in that electorate, and the bigger that electorate gets. Think of it this way, if you gave your daughters whatever they wanted to eat, you would be popular with them. Their friends might really want to come over to visit too. But you would neither be doing them a favor nor be doing a good thing.
I worry about you sometimes.