The Deadly Budget

Read the budget proposal here


(Disclaimer: If you are not from Connecticut or have absolutely no interest in politics or the local Connecticut economy, stop reading now.)


Today, Connecticut's Governor Dannel (not a typo, his name is really Dannel, I know, stupid) Malloy announced our new State budget and holy shit do I have some questions.  Now, I know I am jumping the gun because as I am writing this, it has literally been only two hours since it hit the press.


I just read and attempted to analyze the new budget proposal.  Other than the fact Malloy loves to quote Robert Frost and Harriet Beecher Stowe,  apparently feels that we need to tax Pilate's studios and will offer the first 5 business' "powerful incentives" (which we can't accommodate at this point) if they bring a business to CT and create 200+ jobs, I really didn't see where he was going with all of this. 

(On Government)
He alludes to "trimming the Governmental fat" (for lack of a better term) but is only cutting 140 of 45,000 State jobs?  I am no math expert but that is not even close to 1%. What he really said was...  "we've reduced the number of budgeted state agencies from 82 to 58 -- that's a 30% reduction!" Well played with the words Danny boy, well played. 

(On Education)
Malloy also talks about education in Connecticut, lets see what he said... "That's why this budget proposes sixty million additional dollars for magnet schools." Umm... This is only one year after Connecticut education was given 270 MILLION dollars which is all gone? If at first you don't succeed, try try again!

(On Transportation)
Malloy would like to bring the Connecticut rail-line to a "21st Century system" and fund an 8 mile bus strip from New Britain to Harford (which will shuttle crack-heads to their detox clinics) at a cost of $573 MILLION dollars. I don't know who the fuck quoted an 8-mile strip of pavement at $573 million but I would like to get in on that business. Also, why isn't New York flipping over some coin to help the rail systems, isn't that where every train ends up?

(On Protecting the Citizens)
Honestly, I am not even going to entertain this category because he is cutting 20 officers alone in New Haven who didn't earn the name "Gun Wavin New Haven" because they are great hunters.

(On Health care)
Careful Danny, that is my area; Lets at least hear what he had to say... "I'm proposing that we convert our Medicaid programs to a self-insured model." Wait, Isn't that what the dude in the White House is trying to do while getting laughed at by everyone in the Senate and the House? Yeah, it is called Nationalized Health care (aka Obamacare by supporters on the right side of the aisle). Well, good luck finding support on that one.

Malloy goes on to say that "we can do all of these things and more, if we have the courage to make the hard decisions we need to make today, and to seize the many opportunities that will shape our future." All this means is he is going to tax the shit out of the "middle-class," making it even more difficult to get by during these tough times. 

To highlight a few tax proposals...
- Higher gas taxes (like it's not high enough?)
- Tax on clothing under $50 (which is every item of clothing I own)
- End to the "tax free week" (which will hurt CT business owners)

This is making CT more desirable to do business in how? How will this "create jobs" which is his theme to the entire proposal?

I will end this post with a quote from a friend Dave Shuck - "Buy gold mother fuckers!!!"

Party at Tahrir Square

Read the original story here

(CNN)- Egypt's Hosni Mubarak stubbornly clung to the presidency on Thursday, refusing in a highly anticipated speech to step down by saying he does not take orders from anyone outside Egypt.

What is the one thing that would piss off protesters more than just the fact President Mubarak is still in office?  How about the fact he got on TV and said a big "fuck you" to all of the protesters by leading them to believe that he was leaving and in turn saying "he does not take orders from anyone outside Egypt."

That is a great way to calm the masses!  Now the rioting (which I refuse to call "protesting") at Tahrir Square will be even bloodier than the past few weeks; And for what, another eight months in office? 

I am not saying I have a solution, nor will I give my political view on the situation because this post is already long enough.  I am just saying that we do need to be aware of what is actually going on in Egypt.  The left side is saying "push for democracy, encourage voting and viva la revolution!" While the right side is pushing fear about the uprising of the Muslim Brotherhood if they were to take power in Egypt. 

The left says the Muslim Brotherhood is a "mostly secular group," while the right says "the Muslim Brotherhood has been behind political assassinations, wants to push their religious views on all of the Middle East and is a group of Muslim radicals."

Confused yet?  I am. 

Where does America fit into this?  Well, America will stick up for Israel because they are our peeps.  Egypt and Israel have been cool with each other so we really have had no reason to intervene with their relationship.  Now, Israel will be "surrounded by Muslim extremists and have no chance of survival which could result in WW3"- Sean Hannity (scared yet?)

I am not here to bash the right, left or the middle.  All I am saying is, do your homework on what is actually happening over there so when you turn on the news and see our troops being deployed to Egypt, you aren't bitching and moaning without knowing the facts. 

Hmm... Now that I look back at this post, there really isn't any humor and it is exactly the type of post that I wanted to stay away from on this blog.  Oh well, if you have read this far and were looking for humor, maybe you can scroll down to another article about Spiderman or a deer on ice to get a laugh.

(Picture jacked from CNN because that's how I roll)