The Rapture Budget
A GOP House-passed state budget is being described by Democrats in much the same way as The Rapture was predicted.
(A brief discussion twixt Baer & Baer's editor, a.k.a. BE)
JB: The state budget passed last night by the House Republicans is pretty much seen by Democrats as a fiscal version of The Rapture.
BE: But The Rapture didn't happen.
JB: Not yet, chief. Stay tuned. According to statements from various Democrats, the end of life as we know is just around the corner.
BE: But fiscally responsible Republicans will rise in glory as voters reward them for not raising taxes or borrowing against our future.
JB: Bingo. And senior citizens, the poor, the ailing and the students in the state will face the horrors in the months to come of a commonwealth devoid of services.
BE: Well, as Stalin said of the Pope, "How many divisions do they have?"
JB: What happened to your moral compass? Rep. Lawrence Curry, D-Montco, calls the GOP spending plan "tantamount to human sacrifice."
BE: The Republicans are like the Mayans!
JB: Only trickier. Democratic caucus spokesman Bill Patton says the Republican budget is made of "pixie dust and magic beans."
BE: Let them eat dusty beans!
JB: And the Republicans are misers. Philly Democratic Rep. James Roebuck says the GOP is killing schools while leaving $1 billion on the table that could fund education. He says a current $500 million revenue surplus can be "projected forward into next year's revenue base, yielding the $1 billion figure."
BE: Why not project it forward five years and get $3 billion?
JB: Now you're thinking, boss.
BE: This end-times budget now goes to the Senate, right?
JB: Yep. But not to worry, Senate Democrats have a plan to restore the education cuts AND save $1 billion in spending.
BE: They might have a plan, but the Senate Democrats don't have the votes to do anything.
JB: Maybe not. But they can clang the klaxon of alarm as the state dives to the depths of despair.
BE: And Republicans rise to The Rapture.
JB: You betcha. Grrrr.