Pigs at the Trough

The state of California, facing continued massive budget deficits, has come up with a new way to help balance its books: asking the federal government for $6.9 billion.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger bases his rationale on two items: that the federal government mandates states to have certain programs but doesn't pay for them and that California residents pay more in federal taxes than they receive in benefits.

In many ways, those are very valid complaints - but the problem lies in the welfare state that has grown out of control the past 75 years. Lower welfare spending would reduce or eliminate the burden of mandates and change the tax paid/benefits received imbalance.

Too bad Arnold and his fellow statists don't say anything like that. Instead, they are just more pigs at the trough looking for a federal handout in the Age of Bailouts.