Budget Boogaloo

Some of you Beatles fans out there may recall the fabulous solo careers launched by the breakup of the Fab Four. Paul gave us Wings, John gave us the Plastic Ono Band, George gave us enlightenment, and Ringo? Well, Ringo gave us an "All-Star Band," that cinematic cult classic "Caveman" and "Back-Off Boogaloo."

What does this have to do with Vermont and our current budget predicament? Well, Jim Douglas, like Ringo, continues to playback the same setlist he's relied on for seven years and counting. And, while we can forgive Ringo his song-writing trangressions because he's charming, peace-loving, and gosh darnit, people just like him, we can't say the same for Jim. Jim's latest opus is the budgetary equivalent of Back-off Boogaloo. An uninspired, repetitive mish-mash that ultimately takes us nowhere. Actually, come to think of it, maybe there's another Beatles song that better sums up Douglas' tenure: "Nowhere Man."

He's a real nowhere man
Sitting in his nowhere land
Making all his nowhere plans for nobody

Doesn't have a point of view
knows not where he's going to
...
Nowhere man please listen
You don't know what you're missing
Nowhere man, The world is at your command

He's as blind as he can be
Just sees what he wants to see
Nowhere man, can you see me at all
Nowhere man don't worry
Take your time, don't hurry
Leave it all till somebody else
Lends you a hand

I'm not the only one thinking in musical terms about the latest budget issued by the Douglas Administration. Dolly Fleming of the Coalition of Vermont Elders leads with a musical analogy, but then sums up the problem with this budget nicely in the Free Press: "Calling for efficiencies and redesign cannot be an excuse to downsize and abdicate the state's responsibilities to help preserve the dignity, security and well-being of vulnerable Vermonters. We are our neighbors' keepers and we need public structures, services and supports in place. This is not something a civilized society does only when convenient or in prosperous times." Full column here.

While this budget proposes to raise property taxes on the middle class (by reducing income sensitivity for middle-class homeowners and transferring teacher retirement oligations to the education fund) it does nothing to solve our long-term budget problems. Because there is no revenue solution, Vermont may find itself right back where we are again next year and the year after. Even the Burlington Free Press (usually a knee-jerk champion of the lower taxes mantra) acknowledges that now is not the time to rollback the modest tax adjustments that were passed last year to address part of the problem. We would do far better if we all shared the burden, imposed a temporary income tax surcharge that provided enough sustainable revenue to get through the recession intact. In short, we would all be better off if we just tried to get by "with a little help from our friends."