January 23, 2008
A Quick Thought on the State of the State
I didn't see or hear Governor Carcieri's state of the state speech last night, and I haven't had a chance to catch up on my news reading, yet, so there's not much that I can say about the specifics. (Of course, I suspect that anybody who follows the local news without the inherent denial of a leftward eye must have been unsurprised.)
A larger truth, though, is that I've always found it difficult to get worked up about state of the X speeches. Perhaps back in the days before immediate media and ever churning cycles of policy statements and interviews these broad speeches had value, read in the newspaper the next day by the masses. But it didn't take me many viewings, when I first began paying attention to politics, to realize that nothing shocking was likely to be said.
Feel free, though, to correct or confirm my expectations in the comments.
I'm hearing seriously bad news from my Smith Hill sources. The "progressives" are pressuring the leadership to float a bond to keep the SS Union/Welfare above water. It is to be funded by (yikes) a new 2% tax on food and clothing.
Posted by: Mike at January 23, 2008 9:48 PMDoubt it will pass-but you heard it here first. Call it the Elect Republicans in Suburban Districts Act of 2008.