Don't know nothin' 'bout raisin' no taxes!

MANIFESTO

Governor Mary Jo in her State of the State address in February:

[L]et me say at the outset that I have the courage in this budget to call for specific actions, to propose landmark programs and reforms -- and yes, to call for tax increases ...

Some may ask: Why is it that we need tax increases next fiscal year when the state has a 500 million dollar budget surplus this year?

Because the cost of running state government next year - without any new programs or services – will increase by over 800 million dollars just to fund inflation, debt service, health care for active and retired state employees, energy costs to heat and light state buildings, gasoline for state police vehicles, arbitrated contract awards for state employees and more.

Governor Clubwoman yesterday:

I firmly believe that we can adopt a budget for the next biennium that contains no tax increases whatsoever.

Apparently the courage she was so proud of in February has disappeared—along with any economic sense she had.