Everyone has to share the state budget pain, except . . .

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by David Safier
Question: Who have the legislature and the governor spared from the budget ax?

Answer: The legislature and the governor.

The offices of the governor and the state senate have kept their budgets intact in both the Republican and the governor's proposed budgets. Actually, Brewer's budget adds $600,000 to her office funds and $250,000 to the Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting.

The house would get a $2 million cut, since it hasn't spent its allocations and has created a slush fund with the left over cash.

In contrast, the Dem budget proposal cuts $3 million from the house budget as well as an overall 2% from the budgets of the governor and both legislative bodies.

Remember how Republicans called all those people who don't want cuts to schools and social services whiners? Well, let the Republican whining begin.

Lawmakers say there's no fat to cut in the legislative area, and Senate President Bob Burns argues that the Senate is low on manpower – not that he's pushing for any budget increases. "I actually think we're understaffed," Burns said. "Especially in the situation we're in, we need the expertise more than ever."

Sob.

House Appropriations Chairman John Kavanagh makes a similar argument for the House, saying that if legislative offices aren't properly staffed, the state could be exposed to costly legal actions if errors are made.

"We're already pretty lean, and we have to keep operating," said Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, whose committee helps create the state budget.

Sob.

It should be noted that "Sob" and "S.O.B." have the same three letters in the same order. I think that's called a visual pun.

Clinton was fond of expressing his empathy for others with the statement, "I feel your pain." Republicans' closest counterpart is, "I feel my pain. You and your pain can go to hell."

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