Shutting it down

The sales tax election is dead at this point and it appears and so is the state budget.  So after nearly 6 months of not getting it done, it comes down to this.  State shutdown.  Great work, everyone.  Just a bang up job.  The first thing they should do is shut off the air conditioning at the legislature.  Then, they should have to go clean up the grounds before they are able to go in and pontificate on anything.

Hope you checked out some of the state parks last weekend, because they will now be closed.  There still may be a budget deal done tonight, but if not, the curtain goes down on the state.  I honestly can’t believe that it has come down to this.  What is Ron Gould’s plan?  What is Jack Harper’s plan?  What is the Democrats’ plan?

Is there finally a deal?

Arizona Republic is reporting that a deal has been made between the legislature and the Governor.  This has been confirmed via the Senate’s twitter.  I am sure there will be more details to come, but here is what the Senate is reporting:

The proposal will consist of four components:

1)     The passage of the budget bills which were voted on earlier this month.
2)     A set of trailer bills to the budget package.
3)     A flat tax proposal.
4)     A sales tax referral to the ballot. 

The flat tax proposal is an interesting twist, but hey, I’m willing to look at anything at this point.  I’m sure we’ll have to wait for Monday to see anything confirmed, but this looks like a step in the right direction.

Can I just say….. FINALLY!

Tax increases… for BASEBALL!?!?

So, the legislature can’t raise taxes for things like education and healthcare, but they are willing to consider a tax hike for baseball?

KABOOM. There goes my brain.

YOU HAVE TO BE OUT OF YOUR FRICKIN’ MIND!  Seriously guys?  Seriously?  Get Grover on the phone, again.  Tell him that not only are they raising taxes, but some of these guys are the largest most hypocritical morons on the face of the planet. 

Meanwhile, the Goldwater institute is defending the fiscally conservative credentials of the South Carolina Governor who couldn’t keep his mouse in his house.

Can we trade these guys to Cleveland as well?

Even the courts decide to punt

Does anyone really want to fix this budget problem?  Clearly, the Arizona Supreme Court doesn’t care to help.  They say that the legislature SHOULD send the budget to the Governor, but they aren’t going to make them do it. 

Great.  Kids should eat vegetables, but you aren’t going to make them do it.  Your husband should wear pants to work, but you aren’t going to make him do it.  The baby shouldn’t be playing with the gasoline and matches, but you aren’t going to make him do it.

I could go on and on.  There is a HUGE difference between what people should do and what they actually do.  Now, the legislature can do whatever they want and hold on to the bill to try to force the Governor’s hand.  It’s no wonder why they are taking all of the blame. 

Meanwhile, there are still 8 vulnerable seats in the Senate.  If the Republicans lose 3, the Senate would be split.  Do you think any of those guys are sweating those education cuts right now?

All I had to do was land a fake airplane. You guys have to defende those dramatic budget cuts.

Legislature is to blame

Eye on the 9th floor has posted a very interesting survey from some outside group that shows a whopping 54% of people would blame the Legislature if the Government were to shut down.  Only 13% blame the Governor and 18% blame both parties.  You can read all of the results here.

Gee, I wonder if that has anything to do with them holding the budget.  Or the fact that they are now forcing a record number of bills through the legislature and pondering other legislative tomfoolery.  Maybe that is why they are getting the blame.

However, you can see why they are so ardent in their desire to keep the Governor from vetoing their budget.  A whopping 64% of the voters say that they support the Governor’s plan.  Could it be that they have had a bad feeling for the last 3 weeks that the public may be on her side?

With only a measly 7 days left, will this information do anything to motivate the legislature to get something done?  Do they want to go down with the ship – because even if someone else is shutting off the lights, they are going to get the blame.

Show of hands, who wants to govern here?

Is anyone else freaked out that June 30th is only 8 days away?  When the court finally hears the Governor’s case tomorrow, it will only be 7 days away.  Not to go the band “Europe” on you, but this is the Final Countdown.

Meanwhile, the Arizona Republic is right, this battle does reach to the core of the Republican party, but it should reach to the core of the Democrats as well.  Is it okay for them to sit on the sidelines and fiddle as Rome burns?  No. 

Show of hands, who wants to govern here?

Bueller? Bueller?

I thought so.  Is anyone willing to stand up and do what is right?  We aren’t going to be a two party system for long if people don’t get off their butts and get something done.  The hardcore conservative Republicans have shown already that they would rather fight eachother rather than stay in power.  The Democrats are rapidly pissing away any goodwill they had left from their previous election.

It’s no wonder why Independent registrations are rapidly on the rise.

The Will of the People

Espresso Pundit makes an interesting case on why even the anti-tax crowd should put the tax to the ballot.  It sounds like the only real stumbling block is the fear that the voters might actually vote for it!

That’s what I don’t get.  If the voters would vote for it and they find it acceptable, shouldn’t the legislators, the purported “representatives” of the people support it as well?  That’s what kills me about idealogues like Jeff Flake, Jack Harper, Chuck Gray and Ron Gould.

Turn ons include: Tanning Beds and Not Compromising

Dudes, you aren’t representing anyone, but yourself.  Getting elected by a small number of people in a primary doesn’t make you the ruler of the universe.  If you want to represent the people, perhaps you should listen to them occasionally.  Everyone I talk to thinks its ridiculous that its taken 6 months and nothing is done.  Get to work and FIX IT and don’t stop until its done.

Hypocrites, Hypocrites, everywhere

As you know by now, if there is one thing I hate, its hypocricy.  It kills me to watch these endless months of saying one thing and then doing another.  What’s worse?  Pretty much everyone is guilty of it – especially in the latest budget tomfoolery.

Don’t believe me?  Let’s take a look:

The conservative “fiscally-responsible” lawmakers have hired an expensive lawyer to defend them against the lawsuit trying to make them do their job.  Meanwhile, we are still footing the bill for one of the longest legislative sessions in history and they are acting like its business as usual passing bills and trying to do other crazy stuff.

Super-rich elitist Jim Pederson is bemoaning the tragedy of the unemployed worker, when the only people he appears to be employing is cheesy ad-hacks trying to make him look better.  What’s worse?  He is criticizing the handling of a mess that he basically made by helping Napolitano.

Meanwhile, everyone, everywhere is being asked to tighten their belts.  Except Sheriff Joe Arpaio, of course, who decided to buy a half a million dollar luxury bus.   First, what a fricking idiot.  Second, where is all the outrage of wasting taxpayer money?  If you want to have any credibility, you need to hate that bus as much as you hate that courthouse.

Meanwhile, the Democrats are sticking with their Stronger Arizona plan longer than George W. Bush stuck with “Brownie.”  The struggle between doing nothing and letting the Republicans falter and actually wanting to govern is being lost.  They are like Willy Wonka watching the kids do bad things, but barely trying to stop them.

Wait... no. Please... don't shut down the state.

Meanwhile, taxpayer groups (using the bounciest camera ever) are saying that everyone should work together… as long as it doesn’t mean raising taxes.  Gee, that sure looks like getting together in the spirit of compromise to me!

Don’t even get me started for the outrage over Obama killing a fly.  I’d be more worried about how he is killing the economy.

A Stark Reality Approaches

What will happen if the state shuts down July 1st?  A lot of bad stuff, that’s what.  Some believe that it looks like the legislature is intent on holding on to their bill until June 30th and then force the decision to shut down directly into the lap of the Governor.  What can be done to stop this?

According to the Dems, the talk is that the court will opt not to intervene.  They are just giddy with delight to watch the Republicans self destruct, but still no word on what their workable plan is.  In fact, most are just pushing for the Dems to duck and cover, washing their hands of any responsibility.  Speaking of, it kills me that Blog for Arizona calls Brewer the “accidental governor” when the only accident she is a part of is trying to clean up the giant turd that Napolitano left on the carpet before she high-tailed it out of town.  Meh, they are probably just bitter that Nappy left them in Arizona instead of asking them to be in the giant entourage that she took to Washington.

Meanwhile, the Republicans are still killing their own, taking time out from attacking the Governor to crap on another Republican, this time Tom Horne.  Its really hard to take any talks about party unity seriously when people are willing to turn on their own at the drop of a hat.  Watching the Republican party die from within is one of the most interesting and fascinating things – and what’s more?  They know and they don’t care.  Ideology first! 

Meanwhile, who is coming to Brewer’s defense?  The Arizona Daily Star!  Maybe we should shut the Government down for a bit and see what happens.  If they do, they should start with closing down the Legislature.  It will save money on staffing as well as energy, since there won’t be as much hot air to cool down.

Forget Palin/Letterman – Brewer/Legislature is the hottest conflict

Be relieved, America.  Sarah Palin has accepted David Letterman’s apology.  I know you were all torn up about it.  I am sure you were even up at night hoping that they can work this thing out.

Meanwhile, something that all of us should really be concerned about is the fact that the rift in this budget battle is growing wider.  True to her word, the Governor sued the legislature today to get them to release their budget.  Its all fun and games until someone gets sued.

The Governor is right, though, the legislature shouldn’t hold onto bills after they have voted for them.  It sets a bad prescedent that they can take their ball and go home whenever they want.  Don’t like a bill?  Don’t transmit it to the Governor.

All of these tactics aside, the real fact of the matter here is that something needs to be done to fix this problem.  We are 13 days away from shutdown.