.

After two decades of Republican rule, Texas finds itself with a $27 billion budget deficit.  This, of course, is Barack Obama’s fault.

Juanita responds, “Listening to Governor Rick Perry and Lt. Governor David Dewhurst deliver anti-Washington inaugural speeches to kick off their desperate campaigns to get to Washington, we now suspect that Barack Obama’s birth certificate will turn up in El Paso where he has been secretly running Texas into the hole ever since Republicans took over state government.  It’s a plot.”

“When cutting the budget, we cannot afford to get near Rick Perry’s slush fund for his friends and contributions, which he gamely calls ‘an economic development fund.’  And, admittedly, that’s not far from true if the only economic development you’re talking about is the economic development of Rick Perry’s presidential race.”

So, Texas is cutting luxury items.

Public schools, universities, health care providers take major hits as Texas proposes to balance two-year budget without raising taxes or using rainy day fund.

Grants for classroom technology were also cut because all the good jobs are going to India, anyway.  Same deal for college financial aid.  “Heck, we cut enough from public education and nobody will be able to get into college anyway, so problem solved,” Juanita explains.

“We’re also deeply cutting mental health programs and parole supervision, shutting down at least one state assisted-living center and giving up on that whole ‘prison’ idea,” Juanita shakes her head.  “I mean, now that we’re all armed with concealed weapons, prisons just seem like a luxury we don’t need.”

“Also, The Victims Services Division would be eliminated.  If you’re a victim in Texas, it’s you own damn fault.  You have a weapon, Honey, use it, dammit.”

We’ll dig deeper into The Great Texas Budget Cutting in the coming days.  Last I heard, we were thinking about cutting ties with Oklahoma.