Up is down and dow is up on Planet Deval

Article 10-19-09

Bay State faces, this time, a $600M deficit

by Howie Carr
DNN Staff - EXCLUSIVE!
Monday, Oct. 19, 2009

So which is it, Deval? Is Massachusetts “poised” for economic recovery - or Armageddon? I’m confused.

This is what Deval said on Wednesday: “Massachusetts is poised to come out of this downturn faster and stronger than the rest of the country.”

This is what he said 24 hours later, on the subject of the state’s $600 million budget deficit (so far) and the possibility of laying off 2,000 state employees: “There are some things we do in state government . . . that we are not going to be able to do anymore.”

Mixed message, anyone?

Deval on Wednesday: “We can plot a course together to make the most of our recovery.”

Deval on Thursday: “There are no quick fixes, no easy choices, no low-hanging fruit.”

Obviously, the electorate here in the low-hanging banana republic of Massachusetts is none too bright - 54 percent voted for Deval, and by the way, how is that property-tax relief he promised working out for you? Together we con. But you can’t fool all of the people all of the time, even if you have the trust-fund media trying their damnedest to put Deval’s political three-card monte game over on the public again.

Which is where the word “poised” comes in. It is surely no coincidence that in announcing that happy days are here again, Deval employed the “p” word. Funny, a certain struggling broadsheet just three weeks ago ran a front-page fantasy that began: “Massachusetts is poised to recover from the economic downturn sooner and faster than the nation as a whole.”

Evidence? Unemployment jumped last week to 9.3 percent, the highest since 1976. A headline Wednesday: “Bay State Chap. 7 bankruptcy filings soar.” A Friday headline: “(Unemployment) insurance fund running out.”

Here’s how the grift works. First the fawning in-the-satchel press runs a story that might charitably be described as thinly sourced. The moonbat governor lifts the lead of the puff piece and inserts it into his press release. What little remains of the rest of the mainstream media can parrot it back.

But sometimes the evidence becomes too overwhelming for even a bow-tied bumkisser to ignore. That’s when Deval and his media cheerleaders trot out another verb to explain away the reality of the economic meltdown they have visited upon us.

The word is “lag.”

Oh sure, they sheepishly admit, it looks bad now, but (fill in the blank: unemployment, bankruptcies, plummeting tax revenues, dead housing market) always “lags” the recovery.

You have to think Deval is watching the New Jersey governor’s race very carefully. As in Massachusetts, you have an unpopular incumbent who has likewise presided over massive corruption and huge tax increases that have cratered the economy.

But the Jersey incumbent, Jon Corzine, also has an independent draining off just enough anti-Democrat votes to keep him running even with his Republican challenger. Sound familiar?

Meanwhile, despite all the gloom-and-doom talk, are the hacks really worried about being laid off? Senate President Therese Murray was quoted as saying her payroll patriot pals are panicking.

“It’s painful, it’s very painful. And you know these people, you can see their faces, you know their families. It’ll be devastating.”

Jeez, they might even have to go out and get . . . real jobs. Or try to, anyway.

Meanwhile, Deval’s Dear Leader, Barack Obama, will be in town this week. And I just thought of another word the media love to throw around when trying to gloss over what their political idols have done to the economy.

The word is “bailout.” What do you suppose Deval’s personal bailout plan is, and will he be discussing it with his friend? I would say yes, Deval is poised for a bailout.

With yet another deficit of $600M this time,
Gov. Deval Patrick suggest cutting another
2,000 jobs or slash wages. (DNN Staff photo)

Boston, Graham, O'Reilly, Carr, Siciliano