Budget cuts: Arizona Legislature has it's meat cleavers and chainsaws ready

Random Musings and Blog for Arizona cross-posted a pretty disgusting story this afternoon about the Arizona Legislature's Finance Advisory Committee (FAC) meeting last week.

As we all know, after decades of trickle down economics and other short-sighted policies, the Republican majority in the Arizona Legislature has run this state into the ground economically and socially.

But wait... there's more!

According to an article in the Arizona Republic, Arizona has a "$2.25 billion deficit that needs to be wiped out in the next 20 months."

The purpose of last week's FAC meeting was to discuss the budget and the state's economic crisis. The briefing materials for the meeting are here, and the video is here.

Pondering what these right-wing extremists will do to balance the budget without raising revenue keeps me awake at night. As the other bloggers pointed out, the state's abysmal financial situation underscores the need for us to elect Attorney General Terry Goddard to the governorship.

We saw how crazy Phoenix was last spring with Republican Governor Jan Brewer at the helm and Republicans controlling both houses in the Legislature. Boycotts and loss of business due to SB1070 aside, Arizona was the laughing stock of the country with regular stories on The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and Saturday Night Live. With SB1070, the birther bill, anchor babies, "Constitutional carry" gun laws, and Brewer's babbling about beheadings, we gave the satirists plenty of material.

What happens in 2011 to our quality of life and our children's future may not be easily parodied if Goddard loses. Here is a little food for thought from Random Musings:

The Republicans in the legislature are sharpening their meat cleavers and oiling their chain saws in gleeful anticipation of inflicting mortal wounds upon public education in Arizona during the next budget cycle.

"However, the presence of Terry Goddard in the governor's office will serve to mitigate the carnage.

"He and his veto pen will be there to force the anti-society extremists in the legislature to the negotiating table and force them to minimize the long-term damage.

"Of course, electing Terry Goddard only sets up a strong, but not impenetrable, defense to the worst of the lege's machinations...

"Electing more Democrats to the legislature, maybe even enough to tie or take control of one of the chambers, would go a LONG way toward stopping the R-led slaughter of Arizona's physical and societal infrastructures.

Today is the last day to register to vote in Arizona. If you haven't done so already, go to the Service Arizona website before midnight October 4, register your sorry ass, and vote on November 2.