Bell Policy Center and ProgressNow Colorado are teaming up to shed light on the state budget.  Via TWI:

Now that this year’s legislative session is safely behind us, maybe it’s time to talk about the state budget. That, anyway, seems to be the premise behind a video released today by the Bell Policy Center and ProgressNow Colorado.

The six-minute animated video bills itself as a plain-English introduction to Colorado’s budget–where the money comes from and where it goes.

The Old West-style cartoon makes the point that in Colorado’s early days when a road or a school or a prison needed to be built, people got together and figured out how to do it. These days, not so much.

“The purpose of the video is to start a critical conversation about state fiscal policy,” said Wade Buchanan, president of the Bell Policy Center. “The video helps frame that conversation and urges viewers to learn more.”

Learning more about where the money comes from and goes would go a long way to pushing back against Republican dominated legislatures and regressive tax policy.  The "blame the public workers" tactic seen from Wisconsin Republicans to push a backwards budget has been a common Republican theme in states like Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana for decades. 

The success Republicans have seen pushing even more regressive tax and budget policies on voters as a solution to a problem caused by existing regressive policies relies entirely on there being little understanding of the actual state budgets and revenue architecture.

In 2011, Utahns embraced a set of "bold and ambitious" (sound familiar?) Medicaid "managed care" reforms under the premise that these reforms -- and only these reforms -- were needed because of federal expansion of "entitlements."  A narrow, ineffective system to "grade" and more easily fire teachers was sold as a solution to education funding problems.  Never once in the conversation were state expenditures or revenue discussed.  Debate on housing issues, pensions, and road construction play out similarly.  State lawmakers seem to have convinced even themselves to forget they hamstrung themselves with a flat tax (part of Jon Huntsman Jr.'s legacy) that hasn't delivered, and corporate friendly tax cuts that haven't produced many jobs.

In Idaho, bills that would mandate larger class sizes and phase out teacher tenure were sold -- successfully -- as the only option for lawmakers considering the state of the federal deficit.  Seriously!

Wyoming lawmakers raised public support for cameras in the classrooms as an serious education reform, while sweeping their corporate handouts for anyone willing to drill for anything under the proverbial rug.

Then there's Texas.

There is nothing new about state politicians seizing national meme's to push their agendas.  But it's worth noting that  when a progressive tax policy, or a simple "would you pay [X] more per year for better [education, roads, Medicaid, etc] funding?" question is posed, voters -- even in red states -- are on board.

But it's never an option once the legislative sessions begin, and state lawmakers can bank on a lack of understanding of the complicated workings of the budget.

There's an opportunity here for progressives to change the state level frame through education.  When voters see where the money is (or isn't) coming from, and where it is (or isn't) being spent, it will be harder for Republican lawmakers or Republican dominated legislatures to blame Obama for having to toss the elderly and disabled, families and the future workforce under the fiscal bus with hands supposedly tied.

Bell Policy Center and ProgressNow Colorado are teaming up to shed light on the state budget.  Via TWI:

Now that this year’s legislative session is safely behind us, maybe it’s time to talk about the state budget. That, anyway, seems to be the premise behind a video released today by the Bell Policy Center and ProgressNow Colorado.

The six-minute animated video bills itself as a plain-English introduction to Colorado’s budget–where the money comes from and where it goes.

The Old West-style cartoon makes the point that in Colorado’s early days when a road or a school or a prison needed to be built, people got together and figured out how to do it. These days, not so much.

“The purpose of the video is to start a critical conversation about state fiscal policy,” said Wade Buchanan, president of the Bell Policy Center. “The video helps frame that conversation and urges viewers to learn more.”

Learning more about where the money comes from and goes would go a long way to pushing back against Republican dominated legislatures and regressive tax policy.  The "blame the public workers" tactic seen from Wisconsin Republicans to push a backwards budget has been a common Republican theme in states like Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana for decades. 

The success Republicans have seen pushing even more regressive tax and budget policies on voters as a solution to a problem caused by existing regressive policies relies entirely on there being little understanding of the actual state budgets and revenue architecture.

In 2011, Utahns embraced a set of "bold and ambitious" (sound familiar?) Medicaid "managed care" reforms under the premise that these reforms -- and only these reforms -- were needed because of federal expansion of "entitlements."  A narrow, ineffective system to "grade" and more easily fire teachers was sold as a solution to education funding problems.  Never once in the conversation were state expenditures or revenue discussed.  Debate on housing issues, pensions, and road construction play out similarly.  State lawmakers seem to have convinced even themselves to forget they hamstrung themselves with a flat tax (part of Jon Huntsman Jr.'s legacy) that hasn't delivered, and corporate friendly tax cuts that haven't produced many jobs.

In Idaho, bills that would mandate larger class sizes and phase out teacher tenure were sold -- successfully -- as the only option for lawmakers considering the state of the federal deficit.  Seriously!

Wyoming lawmakers raised public support for cameras in the classrooms as an serious education reform, while sweeping their corporate handouts for anyone willing to drill for anything under the proverbial rug.

Then there's Texas.

There is nothing new about state politicians seizing national meme's to push their agendas.  But it's worth noting that  when a progressive tax policy, or a simple "would you pay [X] more per year for better [education, roads, Medicaid, etc] funding?" question is posed, voters -- even in red states -- are on board.

But it's never an option once the legislative sessions begin, and state lawmakers can bank on a lack of understanding of the complicated workings of the budget.

There's an opportunity here for progressives to change the state level frame through education.  When voters see where the money is (or isn't) coming from, and where it is (or isn't) being spent, it will be harder for Republican lawmakers or Republican dominated legislatures to blame Obama for having to toss the elderly and disabled, families and the future workforce under the fiscal bus with hands supposedly tied.

Bell Policy Center and ProgressNow Colorado are teaming up to shed light on the state budget.  Via TWI:

Now that this year’s legislative session is safely behind us, maybe it’s time to talk about the state budget. That, anyway, seems to be the premise behind a video released today by the Bell Policy Center and ProgressNow Colorado.

The six-minute animated video bills itself as a plain-English introduction to Colorado’s budget–where the money comes from and where it goes.

The Old West-style cartoon makes the point that in Colorado’s early days when a road or a school or a prison needed to be built, people got together and figured out how to do it. These days, not so much.

“The purpose of the video is to start a critical conversation about state fiscal policy,” said Wade Buchanan, president of the Bell Policy Center. “The video helps frame that conversation and urges viewers to learn more.”

Learning more about where the money comes from and goes would go a long way to pushing back against Republican dominated legislatures and regressive tax policy.  The "blame the public workers" tactic seen from Wisconsin Republicans to push a backwards budget has been a common Republican theme in states like Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana for decades. 

The success Republicans have seen pushing even more regressive tax and budget policies on voters as a solution to a problem caused by existing regressive policies relies entirely on there being little understanding of the actual state budgets and revenue architecture.

In 2011, Utahns embraced a set of "bold and ambitious" (sound familiar?) Medicaid "managed care" reforms under the premise that these reforms -- and only these reforms -- were needed because of federal expansion of "entitlements."  A narrow, ineffective system to "grade" and more easily fire teachers was sold as a solution to education funding problems.  Never once in the conversation were state expenditures or revenue discussed.  Debate on housing issues, pensions, and road construction play out similarly.  State lawmakers seem to have convinced even themselves to forget they hamstrung themselves with a flat tax (part of Jon Huntsman Jr.'s legacy) that hasn't delivered, and corporate friendly tax cuts that haven't produced many jobs.

In Idaho, bills that would mandate larger class sizes and phase out teacher tenure were sold -- successfully -- as the only option for lawmakers considering the state of the federal deficit.  Seriously!

Wyoming lawmakers raised public support for cameras in the classrooms as an serious education reform, while sweeping their corporate handouts for anyone willing to drill for anything under the proverbial rug.

Then there's Texas.

There is nothing new about state politicians seizing national meme's to push their agendas.  But it's worth noting that  when a progressive tax policy, or a simple "would you pay [X] more per year for better [education, roads, Medicaid, etc] funding?" question is posed, voters -- even in red states -- are on board.

But it's never an option once the legislative sessions begin, and state lawmakers can bank on a lack of understanding of the complicated workings of the budget.

There's an opportunity here for progressives to change the state level frame through education.  When voters see where the money is (or isn't) coming from, and where it is (or isn't) being spent, it will be harder for Republican lawmakers or Republican dominated legislatures to blame Obama for having to toss the elderly and disabled, families and the future workforce under the fiscal bus with hands supposedly tied.

Barack Obama was wrong in 2004 when he said there aren't red states and blue states.  Wrong. There are. This isn't one country-it's two.  Both are fallible-It could be argued there are virtues to each, but they are not two halves of a cogent whole.  Rather, an ex husband and wife dividing their once collected belongings by throwing them at each other's heads with all their might.  I am obviously a partisan.  I am obviously a liberal or a radical liberal, and I am proud of it-as proud as these backwards hateful mindless conservatives are within 200 yards of a flag on the lawn of a wounded veteran. I get the same tingles they do next to an abortion clinic run by mixed raced gay doctors who ride public transportation.  We both enjoy our foibles.  That's where I want to begin.

And so my point is simple-sometimes you gotta pack your things and go. All relationships end. Just ask anyone I've ever loved if you don't believe me.  I think America is over. The honeymoon certainly has been for a long time. The bridge to nowhere might as well be a bridge to this make believe middle fakey concept of United States. Not Barack nor John, no, I don't believe anything or anyone can unite us-because there is nothing to unite. The divisions are too severe, too too black and white. For abortion, or against it. There is no half, there is no middle. For gay marriage or against it. Again where is the middle? Pro date night? More war, no war. Institutionalized God, secular civilized society.

Why are we trying so hard to make it work?  Are we that prideful? Can we not admit our mistakes?  It's been bad for years and it's worse than ever.  Why are we in it for the children?  Forget the children, they'll do fine, they'll be better when mommy and daddy aren't fighting all the time.  It's time to dissolve the union.  The Divided States of America sounds pretty exciting to me.  

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Cross-posted at Clintonistas for Obama

Mark Halperin has a brief article up at The Page questioning Obama's strategy of targeting traditionally red states with staff and spending:

But every dollar and every hour spent in places like deeply Republican Georgia divert resources from must win battlegrounds like Michigan. Some strategists wonder, then, if Obama's campaign risks trying to win by a landslide and possibly losing by a hair.

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