I’ve used the term “structural deficit” a lot over the past few years, only to have it pooh-poohed by the anti-tax/anti-government reactionaries on the right, so I thought it might be useful to spend a little time discussing exactly what I mean.
Washington state relies on the sales tax for about 56.5% of general fund revenues, one of the highest ratios in the nation, and yet as this study paper produced by Economic Opportunity Institute cogently explains, our sales tax base over time gradually represents a smaller and smaller portion of our overall economy.
The sales tax base is growing more slowly than demand for state investments and the economy overall. Historically, sales taxes have been applied to goods and not to services. However, personal spending on services is steadily growing, and spending on goods is falling as a percentage of personal consumption. Goods and services subject to Washington sales tax represented 32% of total consumer spending in 1959, but only 26% in 2000.
And when your tax base shrinks, you really have only three options: expand the base, raise the tax rate, or shrink the role of government in our economy and society. And despite all the rhetoric about state government growth in real dollars over the past two budgets, Washington lawmakers have largely chosen the third option over the past couple decades, steadily shrinking both revenues and spending as a percentage of our overall economy.
As the following chart prepared by the Washington State Budget and Policy Center shows, both state revenue and spending have fallen or remained flat since 1995, relative to the state economy.
(It is also interesting to note that the projected budget gap in the 2009-11 biennium is not due to an explosion in state spending, but rather to a precipitous decline in revenues.)
Yes, I know that for many of you on the right, this data may appear counterintuitive, but it is widely supported. Indeed, even according to the conservative Tax Institute, the organization whose data Tim Eyman has long used to support his own anti-tax agenda, Washington’s state and local taxes as a percentage of personal income have fallen from 10.4% in 1994, when the Tax Institute ranked us at 17th nationally, to a 35th place 8.9% in 2008, well below the national average of 9.7%.
Different organizations may calculate different raw percentages, but they all generally report the same ranking and the same relative decline. According to the Tax Institute, Washington’s 2008 state and local tax “burden” was exactly the same as that of Mississippi. That’s a fact.
And these numbers should come as no surprise. Our over-reliance on a retail sales tax levied on an ever shrinking portion of our economy makes this long term structural deficit inevitable, and unless we reform our tax system to broaden the base, or permanently increase sales tax rates, the ability of our government to provide the services taxpayers expect and demand will continue to shrink in proportion to its revenue base.
There is a legitimate debate to be had over the proper size and scope of government… but we’re not having that debate. Instead, even as Democrats dominate the Legislature and the governor’s mansion, the lower-tax/smaller-government Republican agenda is winning by default.
Well said. Our esteemed Democratic leadership has done everything to run away from confronting this fact head on and continues to cower before Timmeh and his cheapo ‘mammon before all’ tin god.
The only thing keeping them from being thrown out of office is the rampant lunacy now dominating the Wa. St. GOP.
As one state legislator told me, they are waiting for the parade to start, and then they would be willing to lead it.
With that, folks, we appear to have our marching orders.
I applaud your statement that there is a need for a “legitimate debate … over the proper size and scope of government.” Right on. And you’re right … we’re not having that debate.
What we’re contemplating instead, apparently, is something much more tortured but temporary … if the newspaper reports are accurate.
In defense of the skittish, there is a case to be made that even raising the issue of tax structure simply encourages Mr. Eyman to go have at it with another initiative effort. On the other hand, if we can’t have a discussion about the proper size and scope of government … and how to fund it … NOW, then when can we?
Goldy–
You conveniently pick out ONLY Sales Tax out of the pile of taxes & fees that feed State Coffers…you conveniently ignore related taxes like B&O Tax. C’mon Goldy, if you are going to publicly masterbate on stuff like thing at least wash your package first!
B&O tax adds to the cost of goods & services and should not be left out of your equation.
Same thing with Gas Tax, Phone Tax & Other Utility Taxes that directly or indirectly impact consumers & businesses.
I know isolating Sales Tax makes you feel strongly that we are undertaxed, but have you ever thought that during the Boom-Time…perhaps sales tax was too high and that government OVERSPENT setting up the inevitable time when a recession would hit like this with an impact on an inflated good-time Budget??
It’s clear from Gregoire’s own words that in 2007 she KNEW the GoodTimes revenue base was unsustainable…yet she promoted a huge new programs, higher salaries, bigger bureaucracy Budget. She KNEW it and did it anyway.
We have a serious spending problem.
Cut costs.
Goldy, you have still failed Step #1–to get into the Budget with a meat cleaver and cut out the fat.
That is the difference between LEFTIST PINHEADED KLOWNS and normal, hardworking private sector taxpayers.
Keep feeding yourself and your fellow KLOWNS with warped analysis like this….and try to sell it to taxpayers who are fed up with tax increases. Hey, in Washington State, you might even be successful. But trust fully, this Tax Increase is a watershed vote on whether to massively raise the cost of government…or rein government in.
Deb Eddy–
Deb…we tried to have a discussion about this in 2007…and Gregoire and the Democrats ignored that discussion and overspent calling it an investment. KNOWING we were looking at a recession and it was unsustainable.
Why didn’t you participate in that discussion in 2007? Seems a bit disingenuous to call for it NOW after you have spent us into a $9 BILLION shortfall situation.
It’s time to right-size government to more like a year 2003 level. Get it done.
Cynical @3,
No, this piece discusses the overall decline in state revenues as a percentage of the economy. The reason I focus on the sales tax in this post is that it is the primary cause of the structural deficit.
This post is just one in a series I am writing on our tax structure, and you may be surprised by what I have to say in an upcoming post about the B&O tax and the general level of business taxation in WA state.
In 1990, Washington state’s population was 4.8 million. Today, 19 years later, there are 6.5 million state residents. That’s a 35% increase in population. Anyone care to guess what percentage the state’s budget has gone up in 19 years? Goldy?
Goldy–
I await your next thread with low expectations.
If this one is any indication of the future…my low expectations will be met.
Why, oh why can’t you bring yourself to look at the level of DISCRETIONARY State Spending…lets start with the Constituational Minimums and build from there.
Remember Gary Locke’s Priorities of Government?
That’s how you do it.
Gregoire spews the term freely…but has never actually gone thru the exercise.
Gregoire’s words are hollow…
She campaigned CLEARLY on no new taxes.
They were inappropriate in a recession.
Now, Gregoire is flip-flopping under Union pressures.
Citizens should demand our Governor and Legislators go thru ALL spending with a fine-tooth comb and lay out Publicly the Constitutional MINIMUMS…and the rest is Discretionary.
Take emotion out of it..
What are the Constitutional MINIMUMS..
then let’s systematically look at the rest of the spend and PRIORITIZE.
Why is that so hard?
Weren’t you taught the difference between NEEDS and WANTS as a kid Goldy???
I’ll bet you were…you have just forgotten because you are Addicted to Other People’s Money (OPM).
Why is Cost-Benefit Analysis…starting with Minimum Consititutional requirements so scary and difficult for you?
This is something we should ALL agree on?
And why can’t we consider State Employee Salary & Benefit decreases when the private sector and those being served are down??
1 reason—Union Bullies!
Keep the Union out of this–
Let’s get to work.
Blank Piece of Paper.
Let’s go.
You have made spending so convoluted it reminds me of a fishing reel with a birdsnest of line in it.
Sometimes you have to stop trying to untangle it and start over with a new spool of line.
This is that time Goldy.
Your 100% focus has been on tax increases.
Disingenuous.
Great piece, Goldy. Not enough people are talking about the right arguments.
Goldy, I’ve given you a homework assignment in my #6 comment.
BTB–
Another Kool-Aid Drinker who talks about Revenue BEFORE priorities of government and the cost of delivering services.
The RIGHT discussion is what I outlined.
What are the minimum requirements and how do we most cost-effectively deliver those Minimums…then build the Discretionary stuff based on PRIORITIES and WHAT WE CAN AFFORD.
It is our “leaders” responsibility to take this approach…but they don’t and they have USEFUL IDIOTS like Goldy and his Northwest Division of Moonbat Lunatics, Unions and trough-slurpers like SeattleJew to try and totally focus on the Revenue side.
No sale–
What services MUST we service?
What services do we WANT to service in priority order?
How do we most cost-effectively provide these services?
THEN and ONLY THEN do we discuss how we will fund those services.
You KLOWNS are intentionally avoiding Step 1.
No substantive discussion has occurred on this during Gregoire’s reign of Washington Economic euthanization.
Wise up.
Grow up.
Step 1 comes first.
Going directly to Step 2 means NO to all Tax Increases.
Mark my words.
7 – Gee just cutting spending and chopping heads is the only solution.
The recipe for a backwater.
Don’t want to live in a State like Alabama or Wyoming, thanks very much.
Why does State Government insist on looking how to increase income BEFORE looking at Mandatory & Discretionary Spending, Priorities of Government and a serious look at how to most cost-effectively provide those services??
Answer:
Because it is OUT OF CONTROL…Bureaucracy Gone Wild…totally out of touch with constituents.
11. YLB spews:
So spending more and keeping unnecessary employees is a recipe for???
BUDGET DEBACLES like this one.
This is what happened.
Read the 1/07 Times article.
Gregoire knowingly overspent and grew government in the face of a recession KNOWING it was unsustainable.
She should not have done what she did.
The answer is not to continue to support that…it’s to rollback and re-examine.
Does everyone here notice Goldy is hiding from me, and that he’s afraid to answer my question?
Here is the Times Article from 1/8/07 about Gregoire’s obviously flawed look at the Budget that sunk us:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.c.....t20m0.html
She called all these spending increases INVESTMENTS. Yeah right.
@5 No, this piece discusses the overall decline in state revenues as a percentage of the economy.
———-
The results shown in Figure 1 suffer from the same problem the fact sheet you posted Friday suffered from: there’s a reference to analysis conducted by BPC to derive the results, but no analysis or reference to an analysis doc. That’s the first observation. The second is that this analysis – and data – dates from projections from at least before September of 2008, and since then personal income has taken a significant hit. We need updated data and we need to see the analysis behind the new set of numbers. My guess is the spending vs. personal income chart is way out of whack as shown beyond late 2008.
Goldy: “Lee, quick, post your Birds Eye contest! I need my post buried so I can avoid answering Troll’s question.”
Mr. C.
If you could read, there have been good discussions of discretionary vs non discretionary budgets.
You also need to understand that non discretionary is not just a matter of the State Constitution. We have fixed costs that are determined by Bond debts, contracts (BTW Unions are legal in the US and contracts are binding), and Federal law.
Unless the State declares bankruptcy, no good fucking welchers like you have the same obligations as with personal debt. PAY YOUR DEBTS!
Since Mr Cynical wants the state to welch on its debts, I suggest we do so and instead of taxes simply distribute the debt. Based on most law, that would mean debt collectors would come after all of our assets. The wealthy have most of the assets tin the state so they get to pay of the debt!
I’m giddy at the idea that Republicans can block any income tax from happening. At least until 2011. I’m happy to stick a finger in your liberal eye!
I’m rooting for Boeing, Amazon and Starbucks to leave the state and take a 100,000 jobs with them. I am ROOTING for WA state to go into an economic depression WORSE then Michigan. I want Seattle to turn into a devastated wasteland! The dieoff will be fun to watch!
Troll – I noticed Goldy and the rest of the liberal fucktards won’t answer your homework assignment.
@3 It would be appropriate enough to have a discussion on how to “cut out the fat” and the “priorities of government”. Just not with you.
Of the many ways you amuse me, Mr. Klynical, one of the funniest is how you moved here from out of state and now bitch about the increase in the the size of our government as well as everything else. Priorities? This Lesser Seattlite’s first priority would be to send you and Puddy back to wherever the fuck you came from.
12 Cyn
Why does State Government insist on looking how to increase income BEFORE looking at Mandatory & Discretionary Spending, Priorities of Government and a serious look at how to most cost-effectively provide those services??
Answer: It (meaning WE, BTW) don’t. Right now the legislature is preparing a cuts-only budget, and you know it. If those who want to enhance revenue DO manage to increase any revenue streams, there will still be draconian cuts no matter what, and you also know this.
What are you driven to lie? You should start with the man in the mirror, my friend.
The increase in population says to me that our state needs an income tax.
14 T
Goldy has more to do than to play games with you.
7 Cyn
And why can’t we consider State Employee Salary & Benefit decreases when the private sector and those being served are down??
These are contractual obligations. If I were a union worker I would damn well expect that state government to honor the contract we negotiated, just as if you were a vendor selling goods or services or both to the state you would want them to honor their contract with you.
So Diddled Lover, you would want the state to say here is the pot, here is what we can afford. Either take a pay cut and we keep everyone 100% employed or we cut X% of people to keep salaries at the existing rate.
You choose Diddled Lover.
You choose!
@25 The increase in population says to me that our state needs an income tax.
Not that you’ve provided any analysis to support this . . . not that you could.
You were cheer leading Gregoire’s spending spree in January of 2007 when she gushed:
“These are good times, these are exciting times. Now is the time to make the investments in the future,”
despite the fact that during these “good times” the country had an housing bubble of epic proportions and rapidly spreading subprime loan defaults that screamed PROCEED WITH UPMOST CAUTION. You were totally blind to this looming risk, and you were totally silent last fall as the Governor made her solemn no taxes pledge time and again as a central part of her policy and campaign.
And now you wish to offer us more of your home grown advice?
@3 “yet she promoted … higher salaries”
Uh, yeah — you don’t work for free, Cyn, and neither does anyone else. So why should you expect state employees to donate their labor? The previous two 2-year budgets were balanced by freezing state pay. If Gregoire hadn’t given them raises, they would have gone 6 years without a COLA. That’s a pretty significant pay cut. Locke knifed state workers; they got nothing, absolutely nothing, in his 2nd term, but inflation hadn’t gone away. When you don’t pay people, they leave, as in refuse to work for below-market wages.
You exemplify the Republican attitude of trying to destroy public services by driving people away from public employment by expecting them to live in poverty as the price of working for the public good instead of selfish profit. What is it about selfish profit that makes you put it on a pedestal and worship it like a god? What the hell is wrong with government careers that makes you want to screw public workers? Why do you hate them so much? Did you have a bad experience with a public agency once upon a time? Are you like the convict who blames his prison time on the police, prosecutor, and judge?
Interesting desperation on the part of At-the-trough gulping as much swill as he can Seattle Jew. SJ, OINK! OINK!
SJ—you claim we have had discussions about discretionary v. non-discretionary?
Prove it!
I don’t call the Demos spending a few days in a closet with themselves a good discussion.
I do not call surfacey discussions about PROGRAMS the type of indepth looking at making the cost effectiveness of delivering services and what services.
I’m talking about cutting wages, benefits & other ADMINISTRATIVE OVERRHEAD> Have you ever looked at how much specific Government workers make. I’m not just talking about wages like you KLOWNS like to focus on. I’m talking TOTAL COMPENSATION which includes wages, all benefits incl pension AND PAID-TIME-OFF.
I get a real kick out of Union folks who say the value of Paid Time-off is ZERO. If it’s zero, then forego it! KA-BLAMMMO!!
Look, you KLOWNS are not at all serious about cutting the cost of government in any serious way. It’s obvious from this discussion.
Keep focusing on more slop for SJ and his pals!
OINK-OINK!
@4 We had that discussion in 2007 and the voters elected us instead of your crowd. This is sometimes referred to as democracy.
P.S., I hope you like the “reconciliation” tactic you guys used to bypass Democratic filibusters, because now the Democratic Congress is gonna use it against you guys to pass health care reform. Don’t like it? Fuck you.
Lay-off 8,000 State Employees
Cut existing salaries by 10% and benefits by 20%.
Eliminate 1/2 of paid days off.
Start by looking at the over $150,000 TOTAL COMPENSATION folks in Gregoire’s own office Budget.
Unions want to Gain in this recession relative to the rest of the economy. It’s just plain wrong!
32. Roger Rabbit spews:
Then don’t whine if enough people change their minds and vote NO on the upcoming tax increase.
Your narrow thinking Rog is why Washington State is in a California-style mess.
Us against them.
State Employees vs. Private Sector.
Good luck with that arrogant approach.
I hope Obama sees by now that his bipartisan dream was a crock. Hell will freeze over before Republicans cooperate with him or any other Democrat. The only thing Republicans are good for is decorating a stake.*
* Hey, just kidding! Ann Coulter humor! I’ll settle for prison sentences.
@34 “Then don’t whine if enough people change their minds and vote NO on the upcoming tax increase.”
That’s how it works, Cyn. P.S., if you think state jobs are well paid why didn’t you apply for one? As for me, I finally got fed up and walked away from state employment. I was better off taking my pension.
@35 RR – nice to know you think I belong in a prison for having an opposing idea.
Read this article from todays Times about how Boeing is far from going as low as it can go…and think thru the consequences of tax increases:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.c.....col29.html
You KLOWNS really don’t get it.
Next will be a Progressive Movement to ban companies form leaving or letting Obama add Boeing to his stash of nationilizing stuff.
@37 Don’t worry, I’m willing to pay taxes to feed you in the joint. Also, I’m against torturing our country’s enemies. Trust me, you’ll almost think you’re in a fucking country club.
@31 ,,, Cynicrip
1. Why not just leave your antisemtism in the closet?
2. You can easily look at SJ or here and find posts I have made on use of state funds to pay for the branch campuses, entertainment (Huskie football, stadia), etc. I have no need to teach you how to use Google.
3. What you list are not cuts they are magic. You wanna cut 8ooo jobs? OK, which ones and what happens to the services? Will we save money by these cuts?
@38 Is this a pitch for another taxpayer subsidy for Boeing?
whatever you do, please keep drugs illegal and spend lots of money on prisons for drug users.
this is what makes them operate in the shadows with us, where we can deal with them on our own terms. And this is what allows us to reap vast untaxed monopoly profits.
IT also provides a lot of state employment for judges, prosecutors, even defense lawyers and believe us, none of them wants to save money by ending the war on drugs. It’s their jobs that are at stake!
thank you washington taxpayers!
@39 RR – you are no different then Castro/Stalin/Pol Pot and his ilk.
Goldy writes: “anti-tax/anti-government reactionaries on the right…”
So is it possible to be an anti-tax/anti-government person on the left?
@ 26
Goldy has more to do than to play games with you.
We can take it a step further than that. Our self-proclaimed troll chose only two years for comparison: the present and 1990. Why? Why not look at per-capita spending over the entire period of time? Perhaps it’s the fact that combined state and local spending grew rather rapidly from 1990 to 2000, and has leveled off ever since?
Whenever someone picks only two years in an argument about trends over time, you know they’re hiding something.
@43 Were you expecting a cute fluffy bunny?
@46 RR – It’s never smart to advertise to the world your true intentions, particularly if you are not capable of backing it up. You are a big talker, a wannabe mass murderer.
40. SJ spews:
Only someone like you SJ who is losing the argument would take an OINK-OINK at the trough statement and turn it into anti-sematism.
Shame on you.
Look, you have made it clear, like Goldy, you are intent on funding the current level of guv’mint…by hook or by crook.
If any side is filled with antisemitism it’s the left wing. You can see it in their 24/7 villification of Israel.
When will we stop prosecuting victimless crimes, giving tax breaks to churches and supporting badge-heavy cops? When will we stop with the stupid 3 strikes shit? We could balance the budget AND have a surplus BY TUESDAY if we just took those steps. So when you hear the right wing cowards saying they’re for smaller government, remember – THEY ARE NOT. They’re for BIGGER GOVERNMENT if it means funding their right wing causes. And they proved this under AWOL Bush. Don’t be misled. They’re Publicans. They lie for a living.
@2
Now, you’re talkin’ sense!
@35
Unless you where hatched yesterday your either a bunny or a fool. democrats do not negotiate with no one except themselves. When ever a bad bill comes down the pike they need cover they ask where are those Republicans we can cover their eyes with smoke and mirrors, we will get off Scott free and they will be left holding the bag. AIG turn for us. Democrats only friends are low life baby killers. Judgment day is coming.
Democrats want to know when. Christians need not wounder. Karl AKA PL,myleftfoot.notright,
Nice you democrats need marching orders otherwise you would be hanging about here bugging us with your BORING ORDERS.
Wasn’t it nice when no one knew or cared how you voted the badge of honor was I voted today.
Today we have little snot nose kids asking who you voted for. Today I will not give a correct answer. Mr. O loser and Mrs. G. loser are spending like their is no tomorrow. In there budgets. One must look at who’s tiring to make Gov. bigger little old Christina or Loser or both.
Impossible to negotiate with the “Party of No”.
Well, I have been gone, and I come back and see that the wingnuts are still just as wacked out and crazed, as out of touch with reality, and are staring intently at their navels while the world burns around them.
Whats the real root of our problem? Well, deregulation and securitization which have drowned our economy, a disastorous war that we refused to pay for, tax cuts that have killed us and left us swimming in a current of public and private debts, and a head in the sand attitude towards our looming ecological disaters. Brought to us by whom? Oh yeah, the wingnuts.
So, back from Europe, and I can say that those damn socialized states have better economic security, mobility, pensions, health care, economic growth, and stronger education systems than us. We look at China and India, and ignore that they are the ones truly pulling way ahead of us, with vitually every standard of living and achievement higher, and in all quintiles of their population, and they are doing it with 10-14% higher tax burdens and heavier regulation. Oh, but that is not is not possible say the wingnuts as Amerian triumphalism makes us better no matter what the stats say.
And locally, of course, our state employees were screwed for years, and in seattle, 20-yr trained legal secretaries make less than a second year copy room person in any private law firm, and dedicated experienced lawyers make less than a good 2-5 year paralegal in private firms, but we give them a modest bump finally to keep up with the cost of living, and its the state employees fault, heh?
Oh,and the GOP war on drugs and hard on crime laws are choking our budgets, a baby boom echo hits our K-12 schools and higher ed with mandated spending, and we try to pick up some health care costs that were being born by the private sector in cost shifts and ER spending, and its our spendthrift ways that are killing us? So sayeth the wingnuts.
You brought up Boeing and their threats? The $3.2 billion tax breaks for Boeing in 2003 brought us a whopping, lets see now, about 800 jobs! Hey, do the math and tell me how that worked out. Oh, and how many planes have they delivered with their attack on unions and their tinker toy program? Oh, thats right, none, zero, zilch.
The last generation of planes built here with that high cost and very inefficient union labor force were the most efficient, profitable, and revolutionary generation of aircraft in our history, by far.
So keep pushing your stalwarts like Dinosaur Rossi, Cathy and Doc the idiots, and nationally, the brilliant Mitch McConnell and the perma tanned John Boehner as our best hope for a brighter future.
This attitude of all for me and none for the common good is killing our nation. You people would kill our state too, if we let you get any control, and we could pass Arkansas and Mississippi for the bottom feeder list. Fortunately we know better.
Lets hope that we continue to ignore you in our state, or we can kiss our asses goodbye.
Tom Foss spews:
Prove it…and Tom, I want you to look at TOTAL COMPENSATION which includes Wages, Benefits, Pension (Defined Benefit) AND PAID TIME-OFF.
The State Employees love to whine about “wages” in comparing themselves with the Private Sector…yet TOTAL COMPENSATION is what really matters.
And Tom, if that is the case, why are those folks not working in the private sevtor??
Answers:
Either not hireable, don’t like private sector pressure and job demands, love the benefits and paid time-off, love the lack of accountability.
Obvious not ALL State Employees fall into those categories…but a whole lot do and you know it!
Tom–
We have some friends where the wife works for the State because of the Benefits and lack of stress….her husband is self-employed so Benefits like Health & Dental are huge.
She told us she knows lots of people in the same circumstance.
She is happy to have the job for the Benefits.
The wages are secondary…
Understand?
Cynical@56, you are giving facts to a libtard. They can’t process facts. It’s a useless exercise.
Do you know the most secure state and federal position right now is a revenue agent?
Obama sure has the Stock Market back on track today! Glad I’m sitting here on the sidelines in cash. I told Rog Rabbit and these other KLOWNS we were seeing a sucker rally last Monday. At least Rog agreed. The other KLOWNS went off about Obama’s market rally. Hope they lose their asses. Idiots.
HOWEVER, we may be looking at another S-T play opportunity.
Obama seems to have admitted he flushed Billions down the toilet with GM & Chrysler. Cynical was adamantly against these bailouts because THERE WAS NO MARKET FOR THEIR PRODUCTS!
We keep these behemouths in business for a couple extra months…to what end?
Obama is naive. I guess the fact that his only really decision-making experience prior to being President was a “Community Organizer”.
The chickens are coming home to roost.
@57 “You are giving facts to a libtard”
There wasn’t a single fact in either of Mr. Klynical’s posts. Not that this stopped you from letting loose with yet another one of your delusional rants. That said, I’ll settle for you guys not engaging in another self-loathing wingnut courtship ritual like you did yesterday. That was disgusting. Get a room next time, please.
Kountry Klubber steve–
You never cite facts…just lob vulgar grenades.
Go to your Kountry Klub and start drinking!
Oh yeah, you have already started.
Puddy-
We must have 7-8″ of snow and it just started again.
My neighbor plowed me out yesterday evening…but in less than 1/2 hr. we were drifted in again.
The blizzard we had was amazing.
The wind was howling out of the West for hours.
Finally the wind stopped.
1/2 hr. the wind started again..even harder..from the East.
Must be Global Warming causing that.
Global Warming is also responsible for Kountry Klubber steve’s vulgarity issues.
Global Warming…the excuse for everything!
@54 So, back from Europe, and I can say that those damn socialized states have better economic security, mobility, pensions, health care, economic growth, and stronger education systems than us.
And all in one trip. Absolutely amazing. Perhaps you’re share the details of your mega-fact finding mission for each of the topic listed, country by country.
@56 Oh, that’s just great — now you think state jobs should be second jobs for self-employed people … well, I guess that’s an improvement over the official GOP position, which is that state jobs should pay minimum wage with no benefits. You cheap labor conservatives make me laugh. Where do you think our economy will come from after no one in this country can make a living?
This is why I don’t work anymore. Why should I work, when Republicans expect me to work without getting paid? Now, I live like Republicans — I get paid for not working.
63. Roger Rabbit spews:
That’s not what I said Rog…
Let me say in real sloooooooooooooow so your Rabbit PINHEAD can get it:
There are families where one member of the household works for the government to provide benefits so the other member can be self-employed.
I didn’t say it was a 2nd job.
I’m saying the State’s Diamond benefit package and defined benefit pension plan are so spectacular and appealing to folks where one spouse is self-employed.
Is that so hard to grasp??