Like the Federal Government, State Governments Are Failing

And Unlike the Feds, At the State Level Its Bi-Partisan

One thing about the celebration of the 4^th of July is that it reminds people, mistakenly of course, of their belief that the nation was founded as an anti-government protest.  That is not history.  The Revolution of 1776 was in response to government that was not representative and did not respond to people’s needs.  The Founders supported strong government, just not an unworkable and totalitarian one.

But this leftover hatred of government is poisoning America.  Most focus is at the national level.  But some state governments are failing, and it is not solely Republicans or Democrats.  It is the poison in the American system.

In Illinois a vicious feud between Democrats and Republicans has created a budget nightmare.

During its record-breaking fiscal impasse, the state has racked up $14.6 billion in unpaid bills, and bond houses are warning the state’s credit rating could be downgraded to junk status.

A federal judge Friday found Illinois non-compliant with its Medicaid payments, ruling the state must pay $293 million a month and $1 billion over the next year to help mitigate the $3 billion it owes to health-care providers.

The logjam is the result of a political standoff between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, elected in 2015, and Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat who has held the office for more than three decades.

Yeah, these people long ago lost site of the idea of service. Illinois has finally passed a budget, but it had to do so by overriding a veto.

In Maine and New Jersey government is shutting down.  In New Jersey it is the case of a cry baby Republican governor making a final flip of the middle finger to the people on his way out the door.  In Maine the Republican governor will not allow new taxes to pay for, well, essential government services.  In Connecticut under Democratic rule companies are fleeing the state, including its valued insurance companies. In Kansas Republicans have had to override a veto to restore fiscal sanity.  In North Carolina a Democratic governor is so at odds with the Republican legislature that they are continually suing each other.  In California Democrats have so much control that they are spending on an un-economic high speed railroad that may cripple the state fiscally. 

And the list goes on.  Americans are going to have to face reality soon.  Either support government and demand competence or watch the nation descend into government paralysis.  The smart money is on paralysis, and with no health care available to cure it.