Well, the crazy people down in the Montgomery in the Alabama Legislature are determined in running this state into the ground. Last week, the House General Fund Budget Committee approved a bare bones, major cutting, Alabama dooming budget. The general fund funds everything in Alabama other than schools and education. And with this bad budget, Medicaid, prisons, and mental health would be cut 5%. These cuts are only state funds, and these agencies would also see federal funds being cut. That means more prison overcrowding, people with mental needs not getting help, poor people not getting the healthcare they need, and the federal government getting ready to come in and take over parts of the Alabama government.
Many other agencies would be facing a cut of 9%. And if you think these minor cuts are just something that needs to happen because state employees are just sitting around, you need to quit drinking that tea party sweet tea. The judicial branch would be cut $16 million, Medicaid would be cut $34 million, agriculture would be cut $2 million, forestry would be cut $1.5 million, prisons would be cut $20 million, public health would be cut $64 million, human resources would be cut $12 million, environmental management would be cut 100% or $2 million, and the only cut I support is the legislative cut of $10 million, that should happen! These cuts are just some of the many cuts that would harm Alabama and grind this state to a halt!
The total budget is $1.63 billion, down about $204 million from current-year funding. And some people who lead these state departments are saying that we cannot pull a rabbit out of the hat anymore, and they are right. For the past 15 years, the legislature and leadership in Montgomery have done nothing to change the structure of the general fund. Instead, they have been relying on federal stimulus money, state worker cuts, state department cuts, state budget cuts, borrowing money from trust funds, and raiding gambling places in Alabama. Guess what, the state has nowhere else left to cut! You have to realize something you should have learned in civics class. Costs go up! The costs of automobiles, gasoline, desks, paper, pencils, health insurance, and salaries go up, it’s called inflation!
And the state needs to have the funds to provide the services this state needs. Some adults need eyeglasses, or dialysis, or primary care, or have their kids see a pediatrician. If Medicaid is cut by extreme measures, many doctors in rural areas would leave. Hospitals and ER’s would be overwhelmed by people who had services covered by Medicaid, and they were cut. And if all Medicaid was cut, most hospitals in Alabama would close down, and you would have to go to another state for hospital care. I am not trying to use a scare tactic here, this is just reality, and the tea party sweet tea drinkers needs their noggin hit like those V8 commercials.
Yes, some in the legislature are trying to fix these problems. Del Marsh is wanting to allow Alabama to have a lottery and gambling done by the Poarch Creek Indians, but some in the legislature have said they would vote no on this, and even if this passes the legislature, and the people gets to vote on this, the church (tea party sweet tea drinkers) lobby would mobilize and most likely this would be voted no this September. Another option by some is to combine both the general fund and education budgets, and unearmark funds in the budget. What they don’t tell you is that most earmarked funds go to schools, and unearmarking funds would mean taking money from schools. Keep in mind that Alabama has experienced the highest cuts to public education than other state in America. Cutting education funds would harm the schools even more. I guess the tea party sweet tea drinkers needs to make sure they can re-produce.
Look, I know the super majority legislature is made up of some very conservative tea party sweet tea drinking folks. Alabama probably has the most conservative / tea party legislative body in the nation, both socially and fiscally. Many people in Alabama are also conservative and drinks that super sweet tea made by the tea party. However, you people in Alabama are the reason this state is in so much trouble! You voted for these people, and you are about to see what happens when the federal government takes over the state government, and the state either declares bankruptcy or shuts down because you think having an government with no funds is the right thing to have. Maybe you people should enter rehab, and get off that tea party sweet tea!
Instead of worrying about fixing the budget issues, the legislature is busying trying to tackle social issues like abortion, immigration, gun rights, gay rights, and the ever dreaded Obamacare. The state has even had to spend taxpayer dollars in lawsuits defending state laws that were overturned! Instead of fixing the problems in Alabama, the legislature listens to the Koch Brothers or Grover Norquist. Our tea party sweet tea drinkers have their heads buried in the dirt. And they have their butts glued to their seats, and don’t want to do a thing to get the budget problems fixed once and for all. The tea party sweet tea drinkers are probably getting ready for a federal invasion. I am sure they know that the prison system and other parts of the state government that are about to be federally taken over. Will there be any violence, I hope not!
So, what can be done in this state to send a strong and big message to those who drinks that super sweet tea the tea party has made, and corrupted their brains at the same time? I know! I think on one Saturday every business big and small needs to shut down, unannounced! It will be like Christmas time in Alabama, except people will be shocked when they can’t get groceries, or get gasoline, or get supplies, or get help. Because this might be the future in this state if the budgets are cut to nothingness. Yes, some people might get upset and you might see some people organize and threaten a riot if the businesses don’t reopen, but something needs to be sent to the tea party sweet tea drinkers who are not thinking straight. And the only way to get to them is to force them to struggle!
What are the chances you see every business in Alabama close down for one day to send a message, probably close to 0 percent? But, something needs to happen because Alabama is on fourth down with 99 yards to try to score a permanent budget solution. If the general fund budget is cut like planned, state parks would close down and would force some small businesses to close. Restaurants would not get inspected regularly like required, and some could close down. Doctor offices and some hospitals would close down. Farmers would be harmed and some would have to go out of business. Some industries would be unable to get the permits they need, and they might have to close down. I could go on and on, what a reduced general fund budget really means is many people losing their jobs.
And that is why I am proposing all big and small businesses to close down unannounced for one day. Because smart business owners know that cutting more state funding means bad news for them. It would mean less business, less revenue, and it would result in layoffs and maybe even shutting down. I know some of you, especially those who are tea party sweet tea drinkers, think I am crazy. But I think this is a good solution to get into the heads of those who have their brains taken over by the tea party whose mission is to bankrupt and ruin Alabama forever.
For those who are addicted to the sweet tea made by the tea party, cutting everything does not work! And it results in more people without jobs, and more people staying on welfare or SNAP to get by, because there are no jobs available. It’s not like this state has plenty of jobs available. Ha-ha! Tell that to the people who are unemployed and has no one who is willing to hire them. I am sure the unemployed would love to slap someone who is tea party sweet tea drinkers; something like this should be legal in Alabama!
We don’t need to be waiting for “manna dropping from heaven”, like one legislator has said to solve this general fund problem. It’s going to take the leadership of some in the legislature to do what is right, like reforming our tax code, especially the property taxes, which are so low that doubling them would still mean having the lowest property taxes in America. Will something like this happen? Probably not! It would be like “manna dropping from heaven” to see our tax codes reformed in Alabama, along with reforming our 1901 constitution, so Alabama can compete better with other states in the United States. Wake up leaders in Alabama, and quit drinking that tea party sweet tea, it’s messing up your brains!
By the way, if you are one of those tea part sweet tea drinkers, and were offended by this article, e-mail me at [email protected], and I will make you feel much better about yourself!
Categories: Discussion Talk Stuff
