Posted by
Dave on Monday, July 10, 2006 12:59:35 PM
I recently had a birthday, yay for me! My loving grandmother usually gives me a check for $50 which is already accounted for in my annual budget. This year, however, she gave me a check for $500 – clearly a mistake. I had several choices on how to respond, the obvious being to let her know there was a mistake and give the money back. Did I do that? Nope. Want to know what I did? Well, now that my budget for this year had a major surplus, I decided to take advantage and really improve things around the house and save myself some tedious work in the yard. So, I contracted a lawn care service for $100/month for the next 2 years.
Wait a second, does that add up?
Let’s see: $50 budgeted for birthday income, $500 for this year = $450 surplus. Yard maintenance contract is $100/month for 24 months, or $2,400.
Whew, for a second there I was worried, but the $450 one-time surplus will definitely cover the $2,400 contract.
You’re probably thinking to yourself that I’m an idiot and that no one with any ability to think logically would come to my conclusion. But, you would in fact, be wrong.
While I didn’t really receive an unusually large check from grandma, the North Carolina State Government did get (steal) a $2 Billion surplus in the annual budget. Yep, $2 Billion. Did they give it back? Nope. Did they save it for a deficit year, like we’ve had for FIVE of the past six years? Nope. Did they even decide on a few one-time expenditures? Nope. The brilliantly elected state officials decided to commit this one-time surplus to long-term expenditures, which of course include raises for sate employees.
Now,
analysts are predicting a gloomy outlook for the next year’s state budget.
Really? I’m shocked!
Ya'll come back now, ya hear!