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.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Arizona State Capitol Building for Sale | ||||
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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
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5 comments:
Boy rent instead of free and clear ownership.... wait a minute, isn't spending the money we were going to make get us here? If I remember the reason so much money was "lost" in the past 2 years was because of all of the "impact fees" that did not show up, and a property tax reduction, required by AZ law. I thpought THAT was the cause, oh well maybe the want a BIGGER deficit this time.. Aim for the sky, lets bankrupt this bitch.
Jason
(cynicism free of charge)
Indeed, its hard to watch such foolishness and not be overtaken by cynicism, which is why bankruptcy is probably what i see as a best case scenario. Otherwise we see federal ownership of state government, in a "Bailout" or absolute destruction of the state's lifeblood through frantic taxation.
federal ownership of state government, in a "Bailout"......
Interesting point. If taken to the Nth degree, would this be an overwrite of the 10thA or would it be in violation of the 10thA. I see only super-mega hyper inflation. Taxes need to go up somewhere in the neighborhood of 200% to even make a dent. And that is only the state taxes, not federal. Hopefully we all find gold and can make a run to the hills
I'm with you on the hills, even have a bag packed, just let me know.
As far as the 10th being a concern, im not sure any court would see it as any less permissible that the control of state legislation through federal highway funds and other grants.
If what we are talking about could be considered federal ownership, then that was the leasing of state power.
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