Are You Going to Eat That Pork Chop?

Governors Jindal and Barbour have said they may reject some of the stimulus money. That does take some serious brass. Let's watch closely to see whether this political grandstanding turns into actual policy.

In the meantime, Governor Rounds, the next words out of your mouth should be, "We'll take it. We'll take your money." That's what Governor Granholm of Michigan is saying. If Louisiana and Mississippi don't want more money to help the unemployed, I'm sure the folks here who've been laid off from Gehl, Falcon, Terex, etc. can put those states' shares to good use in the South Dakota economy.

Keep that in mind, Governor Rounds, when you have dinner with President Obama tonight. The table's set, and Washington's cooking, so if your pals at the table aren't eating, feel free to take seconds.

Update 10:13 CST: Arnold's on the ball: Gov. Schwarzenegger's saying he'll take any leftovers, too. Food fight!

Mich. Gov. Granholm Schools Rounds on Budget Cuts

Some of us think the cuts proposed by Governor Rounds to the South Dakota state budget go too far. Other commenters have grumbled they don't go far enough to slash the growth in state government that has taken place under Rounds's watch.

I would suggest that Governor Rounds could take a lesson in real Republican budget-cutting from Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm... except she's a Democrat. She's proposing to cut funding for the State Fair, just like Rounds. But there's more... much more. For those of you determined to portray every last Democrat as a big-government Kool-Aid drinker, consider Governor Granholm's list of proposed cuts:

• Cut all elected state officials pay by 10%
  
• Granholm's salary would drop from $177K to $159.3K.
• Michigan legislators' salaries would drop from $79,650 to $71,685.
  
• Collapse sixteen state departments into six.

At the same time, Granholm is watching out for those who are ill-equipped to bear cuts: she is also proposing a tuition freeze at state universities and community colleges and a moratorium on utility shutoffs on folks who can't pay the heat bill [see Mark Hornbeck and Charlie Cain, "State Fair in Jeopardy," Detroit News, 2009.02.02].

More and more it seems if you want Republican values, you've got to send a Democrat to do the job.