Clueless Doyle

Jimbo (Darth) Doyle is still trying to evade the blame for the State's growing financial problem--now estimated to be about $615 million of deficit by mid-2009.

Although unattributed and in the passive voice, you can hear the Governor's office in this line from the JS report:

It was unclear when the Legislature, which is scheduled to adjourn within a month, will fix the deficit.

The "absence of leadership" red light is on, folks.

So far, Darth found $236 million or so all by himself--and half of that was simply rolling over a loan.

On Tuesday, Doyle budget aides ordered $236.4 million in new spending cuts and other changes that will lower the deficit by mid-2009. Those changes will force state agencies to return $111 million by June 30 - $53 million more than planned - and delay paying off $125.4 million in debt

He just can't bring himself to send out the bad news to WEAC, so his surrogates are thinking about taxing the sick and dying:

Doyle could again call for a new tax on hospital revenues, which estimates last year said would have attracted $418 million more in additional cash.

What the Hell. People in hospitals don't vote, and if they're dead, they vote Democrat anyway, right?