Whoring Off the Future

Welcome to Arizona, a state I am normally quite proud of. But after a recently disappointing legislature session, I am not feeling quite so boastful.

Now, keep in mind this is another reason I don't bother watching the news, after what has been now months of scanning for reasonable news stories on what I saw happen live in our state legislature's first emergency budget session, the most accurate report I've seen, and the only one that asked the obvious question, "Uh, and what about next year?" comes from the Daily Show.

The National Media is a Joke.

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Now, the state capital building is the attention getter, certainly, but not by far the extent of this whore of a trading common sense away for cash idea. Also to go are all of the state's correctional facilities, and several other large state owned - free and clear - properties, which will then be leased back from their new owners for the state's use at the price tag of many millions of dollars per year, over the next 20 years, as a source of constant debt. I know the first thing I do when I am having trouble coming up with cash for my monthly bills is not to say cut the amount of money I'm spending every month, it is to purposely go out and create more bills so i can use items I already own, that don't cost me anything to use now.

There is a phrase used for this level of economic misunderstanding and blunder, It's called "you fucktards". This particular malady is endemic to the political process on all levels, from other states in similar budget crisis-es to the current national debate on socializing healthcare. This sort of "Get what you can today, don't worry about tomorrow," is exactly why the economy was shot out a 1% fed lending rate bubble and into the toilet, as well as a slew of other future obligation/entitlement snafus accross the board.

Now, all this in a time when a graph of the economic projection for next year looks an awful lot like tipping off the backside of a half-pipe, and state revenue (derived mostly from percentage based theft) is dropping at near terminal velocity, you might understand why I am expecting to see corporate sponsorship for state properties, services, and legislation, any day now.

Oh, that is right, we already have corporate sponsored license plates, which our noble and gullible public is able to pay an additional yearly tax, (on top of yearly arbitrary and capricious fees and an asinine percentage of value registration tax) to proudly display their consumer addiction on the rear of their alternative fuel SUV's and drive around while they look for a job...

Nothing like paying the government for the right to display advertising for a corporation that payed the government for the right to advertise to show how oblivious you are to the concept of corporate fascism.

Did I mention the unemployment rate is well over 10%, and climbing? (9.5% deflated and official, based on several month old statistics)

Great. We will have to see how the next few years handle a blow like this one, but I am quite sure this state will have to do so without this particular set of whores in its legislature.

Vote them out, then ask them to move.

I hear the fire weather in California is nice. I am sure they will fit right in.

Civil War in Jericho.

No, no, not that Jericho, but here is, a much more real, and definate sign of the times. As the economic depression deepens, people start to realize that just because their livelyhoods and communities are dwindling and shrinking, does not mean that the government, and its armed enforcers, have any intention of following suit. The pressures of stealing for your livelyhood from those who have nothing can always be a bit stressful, and my sympathies go out to the following officer of the law, who evidently couldnt handle the pressure any more, and snapped.

"It was just too much, having to return to court twice on the same day to
contest yet another traffic ticket, and Fire Chief Don Payne didn’t hesitate to
tell the judge what he thought of the police and their speed traps.

The response from cops? They shot him. Right there in court."

In this AP story about the troubles of a small town in Arkansas sounds a little bit like a parable for what is happening all over the country, first in small towns, and then, gradually, in larger and larger cities.

[The town] saw its last business close its doors a few weeks ago.

"You can't even buy a loaf of bread, but we've got seven police officers," said former resident Larry Harris, who left town because he said the police harassment became unbearable.

"You can't even get them to answer a call because normally they're writing tickets," said Thomas Martin, chief investigator for the Crittenden County Sheriff's Department. "They're not providing a service to the citizens."

Theres more to the story, so I do suggest you follow the link, though I warn you, you might be suprised how quich things can turn ugly, police cruisers having to be parked out of town because of repeated vandalism, an officer shoots a man in anger in open court, and no one will identify him, and another government official states that no charges will be filed, unless they are fired against the victim, while everyone is wondering where all the money the police department and courts stole at gunpoint went, exactly. The mayor didnt have a comment, but the reporter did note the government purchased car parked in her driveway. Seems this small town has all the elements needed for a classic tale of grift and corruption.

Well... Almost everything. On second thought, it sounds like they could use their very own Jake Green, and a little bit of luck. Remember, things do change fast, and when it rains, it pours.

~Tempus Fugit