It's A Big Shit Sandwich And Everyone's Going To Have To Take A Bite - Except Rich People

Well, it was obvious, but we apparently know how the Governor is going to deal with the massive projected budget deficit.

Faced with what his staff now estimates as a $14 billion budget hole, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has decided to seek across-the-board cuts to state operations.

The administration last month asked departments to prepare hypothetical budgets based on 10 percent reductions for the fiscal year beginning July 1 in case such a move was sought.

But now, as the fiscal outlook has worsened, the Republican governor has decided to go forward, according to advocates for social services and local government the governor has summoned in recent days for budget discussions.

That's 10 percent across the board, but of course there are some spending mandates in there, so some of those cuts will not be allowed.

Schwarzenegger also said that he is hesistant to call for tax increases because of legislative and voter resistance. In other words, he's hesitant to lead. This seems like one of those classic trial balloons to check the reaction. Well, here's one. It's clear that Republican policies of creating, artificially and against the will of the majority, a structurally unsound revenue model, will not be changing, at least not next year. And so we'll end up with a one-sided approach to a dire budget problem, when such an approach will only put off the problem. This is how government shrinks, this is how public confidence in government saps, and this is how a belligerent, UNPATRIOTIC minority (California and America are worth paying for) gets its way.