House Democrats have so far refrained from joining Gov. Perdue and Senate leaders in the Axis of Taxes. A story in the Wall Street Journal provides a reminder that states need to make policy changes now to be ready for the end of federal morphine stimulus in two years.
Detox is a painful process. Public schools CEO Bill Harrison claimed spending cuts would set the state back 30 years and so there needs to be a “temporary” tax hike. John Tote, executive director of the Mental Health Association, went even further: “I truly believe that some people would die because of this budget.” This is the Tote corollary to Godwin’s Law. Under the Tote Corollary, any government budget reduction will lead to people dying, just like in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s (but not in the past year at mental hospitals).
