AP is reporting that many states are finding themselves with massive budget shortfalls.

_More than half the 16 states reporting deficits this year have cut spending, including $1 billion by Florida lawmakers last year and across-the-board cuts in Nevada. At least eight states are debating raising taxes or fees, including a proposed $1-per-pack cigarette tax increase in Massachusetts to raise $175 million.

_Twelve states, including Georgia, Idaho and Illinois, reported that personal income tax collections were failing to meet estimates, and in eight of these, collections were even below a reduced forecast.

_Many states, including Alabama, Arizona, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada and Wisconsin, plan to tap their rainy day funds, which contain money set aside for fiscal emergencies. Nevada may use its entire rainy day balance.

This comes from a National Conference of State Legislatures report.

As I see it, here is the mess we are in. The federal government cannot stop spending money, state governments cannot stop spending money and county and local governments cannot stop spending money and so everyone is going into massive debt. There are only two alternatives to fixing these problems. You either cut spending or raise revenue (taxes). These are two options no one wants to consider because they want to get elected.

Our economy is changing, the world is fastly moving ahead of our country and in the year 2008 who is going to start telling the federal government PLUS the states they need to either cut a lot of fat or start hiking up taxes?