As for the rainy day fund, it will be tapped before the budget year ends. Look at difference in “stimulus funds” in the Gov’s budget vs the Leg budget. That’s hoped for money, not commited funds. 6-8 months from now the Legislature will be “shocked” by a budget “crisis”.

then there was also the part about Oberle telling the bond bill committee to not do that to the schools, but instead tap the rainy day fund. Apparently Oberle’s drum beat was different from that of the bond bill committee and they (members of both parties) didn’t want to hear it.

Question: If we have a rainy day fund, when in the f-bomb (that was for Art and David) is that fund allowed to be tapped? What are the rules/restrictions? It seems to me they are decided on the fly, and that decision is basically that it’s not politically prudent to tap it.

The $3.09 billion operating budget that was passed and signed into law on the first day of the new fiscal year is 8.1 percent smaller than the one that preceded it. The budget for fiscal 2009 was $3.36 billion.

Kowalko held out on principle for a franchise tax increase rather than an alcohol tax increase, but his colleagues preferred to cut schools instead. Also from today’s News Journal:

Kowalko said he refused to support the alcohol tax increase out of concern for jobs, not because he was standing up for big brewers or liquor distributors.

Kowalko said he had spoken with a restaurateur friend who told him that if the tax went up, he might be forced to terminate health benefits for his employees. In addition, Kowalko said, more than 1,100 Teamsters jobs depend on Delaware’s alcohol business, and he did not want to endanger those jobs, either.

Kowalko wanted to boost the corporate franchise tax on the 1,500 richest companies incorporated here, which would have raised $7.2 million — more than enough to replace the amount raised from the alcohol tax bill. But Kowalko’s proposal did not gain any traction.

Despite enormous political pressure from Democrats in both chambers to change his vote, Kowalko refused and the alcohol tax bill died….

Having to cut school construction to make up the shortfall, Kowalko said, was “the fulfillment of the obstinacy of the administration to consider” his corporate tax measure.

That said, I am distressed at the additional $5 million cut from schools, because Kowalko broke with the Dems on the $.02 per can tax increase on a can of beer. I don’t get it!

Good for Dave!

Do gratuitous ‘f-bombs’ really make for ‘hot blogging’? There are times when a vulgarity may provide a certain emphasis. However, a steady diet of them marks the source as a lout.

Dave is a gentleman with enough courage to use his real name on line. He also seems to be able to shrug off insults that are often a mark of frustration.

how big was the spending increase over last year?