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I live in a backasswards state.

Yesterday, all non-essential offices were shut down, 22,000 people furloughed and countless lives were screwed. While I appreciate the benfit to me--my classes for Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday were cancelled, I am appalled that those in "power" in this state have their heads so far up their collective asses that we are in this quagmire. It has been coming for years and they all knew it. I am no fan of taxes, especially the dreaded income tax, but when you have a state economy tied to the fluctuating sales tax, you are asking for trouble. In our county alone, sales tax collections are expected to be as much as 600K off this year. September 11, the market tanking, etc, have just eaten us alive. It is entirely possible that the "fix" they decide upon will be a state sales tax of--hold on to your hat--10 frigging percent.

So, for the next week or so, they will continue to battle it out. The pro income tax and the anti income tax folks will be on the news raising a good ol' redneck ruckus and the pols will be praying they can just hang on til the August and November elections. Our useless governor will posture and hem-haw around and assure us that hell is just around the corner, we won't get raises and I will end up getting screwed out of two credits that I needed this summer. If I stay on schedule, I will be able to sneak in my Plus 30 raise at Christmas and get the money for the entire school year--woohoo! Unexpected little windfall there--and sorely needed. I am sure that this group of jackasses will figure out some way to fuck me over before it is all said and done. I am ready to move to a state that puts emphasis on quality of life and top notch services instead of pro football teams, road construction and horribly mismanaged public health care. Problem is, I am not sure there is such a place :-).