Arizona Governor: "We Face a State Fiscal Crisis of Unparalleled Dimensions"

[Bill Hicks]

http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2009/12/arizona-governor-jan-brewer-we-face.html

Imagine getting a letter like this in the mail:


Dear Fellow Arizonan,

We face a state fiscal crisis of unparalleled dimension – one that is going to sweep over every single person in this state as well as every business and every family.

That is why I held an emergency cabinet meeting yesterday morning where I outlined for our state’s elected leaders and business leaders the ills our state faces. As I told them yesterday, we ARE faced with some of the worst days in our 97-year history.

We can debate how we got here, but we CANNOT remain paralyzed in our efforts to address the situation. We must set aside partisan politics and face the problem head on.

So here’s the TRUTH:

The state has a budget deficit for the current fiscal year of $1.5 billion.
Next fiscal year, 2011 -- a budget year that begins in just six months -- is even worse. Next year’s budget deficit stands at $3.4 billion. As of today -- right now, that MUST change.


Change it MUST.  Get better in WON'T.   

[Arraya]

Quite a doomy opening line from the governor.  I like it.

[Megadoom]

Disastrous, apocalyptic, collapse, catastrophic - these are descriptions I'm repeatedly see coming from state governors and city mayors, and this makes me ask one question: Where's the economic recovery? I mean, if the recession is over like the retards say, than why is this happening all over the country?

Last week, in New Orleans, which faces a 26 million dollar deficit in tax revenue, will be forced to make drastic and I quote: "disastrous cuts" in the budget. We have police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks that can only get 1 refill per day. If a police car is quoted to have repairs exceeding $400 the repair cannot be made.  Furloughed days for city workers. Hiring freeze on medics, who are overworked and stressed out to the point of exhaustion. Reduction in trash services, RTA buses being cut, pay cuts, layoffs, courts closed on Saturday overflow, and so on. People will be staying in prison longer, cases are backlogged (even more than they are), public defenders will be paid less than what a waitress makes, pot holes won't be filled, sewage and drainage projects will be delayed, and on and on. Then we'll see another article that boasts how well the area is handling the recession, and that Louisiana is doing remarkably well, yet they too are facing drastic cuts due to a shortfall in tax revenue.

On a national level we are coasting on massive stimulus, just to keep from being sucked into a economic abyss, and ever hopeful we expect to soar up, up, and away! We are not being practical, wise, or truthful.

So what's new?

[BlueOwl]

There are going to be a helluva lot of gov't workers (many of them NOT the cliche' underskilled, underworked, and overpaid) in unemployment lines in the coming year or two.  Budget deficits in the BILLIONS, everywhere, means massive cuts.  There are also going to be an incredible number of important (and some not so important) programs and services being cut.

Grover Norquist probably can't get the smile off his face.

[advancedatheist]

Grover Norquist probably can't get the smile off his face.

Until he realizes he's next in line for drowning in the bathtub.

[Leeshee]

Gah. I wish my friends would freaking listen to me and get the hell out of Phoenix. 

[swampman]

There are going to be a helluva lot of gov't workers (many of them NOT the cliche' underskilled, underworked, and overpaid) in unemployment lines in the coming year or two.  Budget deficits in the BILLIONS, everywhere, means massive cuts.  There are also going to be an incredible number of important (and some not so important) programs and services being cut.

Grover Norquist probably can't get the smile off his face.

Bankrupt America so the heresy of the New Deal can be erased off the face of America.  Take us back to the good old days when there was no minimum wage and no 40 hour workweek.  Then they will bring the jobs back to America. The Chinese Slave Labor jobs will be here instead.

[Bill Hicks]

There are going to be a helluva lot of gov't workers (many of them NOT the cliche' underskilled, underworked, and overpaid) in unemployment lines in the coming year or two.  Budget deficits in the BILLIONS, everywhere, means massive cuts.  There are also going to be an incredible number of important (and some not so important) programs and services being cut.

Grover Norquist probably can't get the smile off his face.

Once the full reality of what all of this means hits people Norquist will be better served leaving the country, because there are going to be lynch mobs out looking for his smug, self-satisfied ass. 

[rocketgirl]

I got a call a couple weeks ago from someone wanting to rent our cabin in Utah for their annual get together.  He lives in Phoenix and said that he's a bank exec and these are all his bank executive buddies from CA, UT, and AZ.  I said "well, you'll be safe at the cabin", he replied with a nervous chuckle and proceeded to reserve it.  I don't know what happened to me, the words just flew out before I even thought about what I was saying.  I could leave some LATOC literature laying around the cabin if I was nice.  Or not.  Okay not. 

[roccman]

What is particularly disturbing about this ...

Brewer and others actually are planning for a 7% increase in revenues next year.

Yeah Brewer - there is gonna be an increase alright...but not the one you think.

Again - the sooner our politicians come to the cold stark reality that PO ushered in economic collapse - the sooner we can order the required number of coffins and hire some back hoe operators to dig mass graves while we have some oil left and a factory or two to make coffins...go long Hillenbrand Industries.

Otherwise - the stench of rotting corpses will be our future.

[motherearth]

Happy Holidays, roccman 

[motherearth]

On topic,
Iowa has the same number of State troopers on the road as it did in the 1960's!!
Looking at large tax increases, even on the sacrosanct farm ground, to fill the gap between budget & reality.
Court houses, state offices and State Universities are all trimming thru days off.
10% across the board spending cut ordered by our Guvner for state spending.

Farmers so far are having a good year it seems, according to the loan officer at one of our banks.

So,
my question is how long can these state gov'ts tread water before they go down the whirlpool?

What did they do during past recessions?

[cabacaba]

Oh Joy,, the dumb asses in DC just passed the Health Care monstrosity that will "mandate" billions of extra dollars on all states except Nebraska. Also, it will fill the prisons with people who can't afford to buy insurance. Oh yeah, that is Obama's Jobs creation plan, lots and lots of prison guards. 

I believe that Gerald Celente is right. This will be the start of the new Civil War... 

[Michigan11]

Couldn't agree more. John Williams sees what's coming from the numbers perspective. Celente understands the mass psychology trends and a small minority of the public sees we are totally F'd.

What is so amazing with this congress is they are being told repeatedly stop what you are doing, we don't want you to vote on this or that, yet they ignore and pass this healthcare scam with absolutely no hopes of actually funding it, let alone having an economy left soon anyways. This looks like the last nail in the coffin.

I do think alot of Americans that are watching, are sort of waiting for someone to come forth and state "We are in serious trouble", yet that's not how governments or societies go down. There is never an announcement to cover your ass so to speak...

Oh Joy,, the dumb asses in DC just passed the Health Care monstrosity that will "mandate" billions of extra dollars on all states except Nebraska. Also, it will fill the prisons with people who can't afford to buy insurance. Oh yeah, that is Obama's Jobs creation plan, lots and lots of prison guards. 

I believe that Gerald Celente is right. This will be the start of the new Civil War... 

[Abhaha]

What is so amazing with this congress is they are being told repeatedly stop what you are doing, we don't want you to vote on this or that, yet they ignore and pass this healthcare scam with absolutely no hopes of actually funding it, let alone having an economy left soon anyways. This looks like the last nail in the coffin.

I do think alot of Americans that are watching, are sort of waiting for someone to come forth and state "We are in serious trouble", yet that's not how governments or societies go down. There is never an announcement to cover your ass so to speak...

I believe that Gerald Celente is right. This will be the start of the new Civil War... 

Jim Sinclair calls these distortions MOPE-- Management Of Perspective Economics. In other words if you weave a story about economic events into some kind of a reality--you actually create the outcome. There actually is a school of economics based on this. IMO it is loopy as hell....and in fact it will help create the hell we will experience.