$100 Million in Cuts?

More on the "if-come" State budget slop. We'll see all kinds of magic tricks to make this happen.

State government agencies must return $100 million in unspent funds on June 30 - an edict that has them not filling hundreds of jobs, reorganizing and preparing for possible layoffs.

The $100 million is needed to guarantee that state government will close its books with a surplus. Without the transfers, the $66.9 million budget surplus projected for June 30 would be erased. The surplus would help build up the state's contingency fund for future emergencies.

Oh, yah, and there's that minor Constitutional mandate for a "balanced" budget. Note that the article does NOT mention the ongoing structural deficit of $2.4 billion (GAAP).

And then there's THIS little factoid:

The $100 million savings will only slow - and not reduce - the 6.6% projected overall growth in state spending, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

The horrific, blood-in-the-streets effects?

After Dec. 31, for example, La Crosse-area taxpayers will not be able to pick up tax forms, or get help filing their taxes, because the Revenue Department office in that city will close, Beil [the State employees' Union Boss] said.

Taxpayers also will miss the 18 other regional Revenue Department offices scheduled to close by the end of 2010, he said.

Somehow, I don't think a lack of Revenooers will be quite as awful as Marty does.