For State Republicans, Budgets Had Better Be Job One

If I didn’t know that Reuters was a respectable, objective, non-biased news agency, I’d say there was a distinct undercurrent of sorrow in this lede.

Legislators in U.S. states who are returning to work this month or entering office for the first time expect to spend much of the new year pinching pennies.

According to a survey released on Monday by the National Conference of State Legislatures, most state lawmakers listed balancing the budget at the top of their fiscal agenda.

“Diminishing federal stimulus funds, slow revenue growth and spending pressures have opened new budget gaps totaling $26.7 billion this fiscal year,” the survey found. It added that states already expect a total gap of $82.1 billion for fiscal 2012, which begins for most in July.

The years of orgiastic spending are over. Now come the years of making sure we don’t stiff our kids with our bills. It’s not sexy, but then again, sexy doesn’t very often get the job done.

Unless the job is being sexy. But that’s not a job for politicians. That’s a job for certain bloggers and podcasters and Diane Lane.

Back to the point. I get the impression from this story that Reuters is just a little bit dismayed that America got sick and tired of speaking softly to the Democrats who were bound and determined to bankrupt us. It surely can’t be much of a surprise that we busted out a 2×4 and smacked our state legislators right between the eyes 680 times. We voters tend to do things like that to political parties that get a bit too full of themselves. We did it in 2006, 1984, and 1948. It was only a matter of time before it happened again.

Of course, there’s always the chance that our new Republican legislatures won’t cut their budgets all that much. Republicans have a nasty habit of falling in love with big pork, big perks, and big power. Those things all exist at the state level like they do in Washington and no politician is immune to their siren song.

But before any of them decide to get too comfortable, I’d just like to remind them that we are still watching and that we have not actually put down the big stick. If another lesson is required, we voters will have no problem administering it.

Other Posts of Interest:

• Smaller Government Begins with an Earmark Ban
• Why the Republicans Will Be A Minority For A While Longer
• Cantor’s Clever Cutting Gimmick

Tags: Big Government, Republicans

Category: The Republican Minority