Digging a hole with Other People's Money

The state legislature is poised again to pass another budget repair bill for the current fiscal year. For those of you counting, this is attempt number three. Like the proposed state budget for next year, SB232 raids federal stimulus dollars to pay the state's operational costs:

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law lapses $291,000,000 in the 2008−09 fiscal year from the state school aid appropriation to the general fund and directs the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to use $291,000,000 in federal funds received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to make payments to school districts in June 2009.

This bill lapses an additional $261,278,000 in school aid to the general fund in the 2008−09 fiscal year and directs DPI to use an additional $261,278,000 in federal funds received under ARRA to make payments to school districts in June 2009. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

Somebody really needs to ask President Obama on Thursday if this is what his administration meant by "shovel ready." The legislature is shovelling something all right.

They could learn the importance of good math skills

Looking at my child's school calendar, I see that one class of students is scheduled for a field trip to Madison later this month. I presume they are going to see the legislature.

Couldn't we send them to Las Vegas instead? They would meet a better class of people. They would learn valuable skills. And they would certainly be exposed to more moral behavior.

I never saw a degenerate gambler in Las Vegas forget to say "thank you" when a free drink arrived. About how many members of the legislature can you say that?

Be honest. Would you rather have your children spend ten minutes in the sports book at Caesars or watching the Joint Finance Committee?

Yeah, I thought so.