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Open Thread: The Budget Beast

by: Jennifer Daler

Wed Jan 19, 2011 at 08:35:11 AM EST
According to an editorial in today's Concord Monitor, Charlie Arlinghaus, director of the right wing Josiah Bartlett Center for public policy, reckons the upcoming state budget deficit at $666 million. Why? Not because it's the actual number. Nobody knows for sure what that will be as the revenue numbers are in flux.
It's
a number he likes because, as the "mark of the beast," it is symbolic of the deficit devil New Hampshire faces. Republicans also say they intend to eliminate or reduce taxes and fees.

So now we're using imagery from Revelation as part of our public policy debate? Well, as the Monitor says, the result of eliminating revenue streams will

make the budget beast even bigger and more fearsome.

If the budget deficit is huge, nothing short of eviscerating state government will spare cities and towns cuts in state aid. Municipalities are also likely to see increased local welfare costs as a result of cuts in state social programs.

It's downshifting on the local property tax payer yet again. Stay tuned for a return to "lowballed" agency budgets and visits to the fiscal committee for some off-line supplemental funding.

This is an open thread.
h/t Dean
Jennifer Daler :: Open Thread: The Budget Beast
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Open Thread: The Budget Beast | 15 comments
I don't believe Lieberman (0.00 / 0)
And I won't, until the day after the 2012 election.

Sorry Joe. I feel like you've (mostly) been a (mostly) good Democrat, and I should believe you. But I don't.

Mostly isn't enough (4.00 / 1)
Lieberman has been good on many issues--DADT the latest such example.  However, like the discussion of Justin Nadeau at the state level, Mr. Lieberman's endorsement of John McCain was unacceptable.  It's one thing to withhold support of someone who is not your first choice, but to enthusiastically embrace the presidential nominee of the opposing party is too much.  It's not that you should be blindly partisan, but if you disagree with a party so thoroughly that you would prefer their opponent retain/gain control for the next four years, perhaps you should join the other party.

Mr. Lieberman's hawkishness and moral grandstanding has also been offensive.  

[ Parent ]
He's not believable. (4.00 / 4)
In 2006, I was in a Connecticut condo that had previously been occupied by a right-wing senior citizen. A week before the general, I got two pieces of mail on the same day - one to me from Lieberman, one to the previous tenant from Lieberman. Mine said "Joe will vote to end the war in Iraq!" The other one said "Joe will stand by President Bush to finish the job in Iraq!" And so on and so forth with the other claims. The two pieces baldly contradicted each other.

There's a reason Lieberman starts with 'Lie.'

Only the left protects anyone's rights.

[ Parent ]
US House Republicans are starting to ignore CBO and fabricate budget numbers too, (4.00 / 4)
As long as we're all just going to make this stuff up, I say the state has a $1.3 billion surplus and the national government has a trillion dollar surplus.

--
Hope > Anarch-tea
Twitter: @DougLindner
Doug I'm going with your numbers they 'feel ' right to me...n/t (4.00 / 3)


note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other
[ Parent ]
phew...charlie got it wrong (4.00 / 1)
666 is not the mark of the beast it is the number of the beast...check it out: http://www.666numberofthebeast...
soooo, if he made up the number $666million and he made a mistake by calling it the "mark" of the beast than how do we believe anything else he puts out under the guise of the Josiah Bartlett Center
Arlinghaus' iPod? (0.00 / 0)
Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast (1982)

Gorgeous Frankenstein. new song "mark of the beast" (live) 6/18/2010


"Ill writers are usually the sharpest censors." - John Dryden

[ Parent ]
Need More Weiner! (4.00 / 1)
Weiner Gives 'Half Time Report' In Debate Over Health Care Repeal


"Ill writers are usually the sharpest censors." - John Dryden
bring on the Rapture (4.00 / 1)
I can't wait to be left behind.  
I'm keeping your place warm Susan :- n/t (0.00 / 0)


note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other
[ Parent ]
Can Those Of Us (4.00 / 2)
on the left side at least use this occasion to put to rest any further idiocy about Arlinghaus being anything but a Republican tool?  I'm so sick of hearing the Bartlett Center being described as "non-partisan."

Sure, I voted for less government and less government spending...just NOT the parts that I benefit from!
and Grant Bosse their non partisan 'investigator' n/t (0.00 / 0)


note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other
[ Parent ]
Time to start a rival public policy center to promote facts. (0.00 / 0)
I suggest calling it the Josiah Bartlet Center (one "t").

--
Hope > Anarch-tea
Twitter: @DougLindner
Local government red tape for solar power implementation (0.00 / 0)
Strongly recommended reading for mayors/aldermen/town and city councilors/selectmen/etc: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01...

--
Hope > Anarch-tea
Twitter: @DougLindner
Shorter Santorum -- (0.00 / 0)
Only white people get to make these distinctions.

Santorum said. "Well if that human life is not a person then I find it almost remarkable for a black man to say 'now we are going to decide who are people and who are not people.'"

http://voices.washingtonpost.c...

The next graph at the link is even worse. I should probably include it but would rather not.

Open Thread: The Budget Beast | 15 comments

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