It’s a Three Stooges Budget

June 15, 2012

By Katy Grimes

With California’s entire $91 billion budget being decided and voted on today, we can honestly and unequivocally say that California Democrats own the budget, lock, stock and smoking barrel.

But this year, budget talks have had a certain comedy to them, particularly because there have been only three participants–Jerry, Moe and Curly, California’s Three Stooges.

Budget talks this week have been done behind closed doors by Gov. Jerry Brown, Assembly Speaker John Perez, and Sen. Pres. pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, all Democrats. Republicans have been absent from all budget talks, including Republican leadership, thanks to passage of Proposition 25, which ended the previous requirement that two-thirds of the members of the California State Legislature had to vote for passage of the state’s budget.

What’s a stooge?

A stooge is a member of a comedy double act who feeds lines to the other comedians. He is a shill who acts as if he is one of the spectators.

While we may not be sure which of our Three Stooges is running this comedy routine, with Democrats in charge, the budget is designed to keep certain Californians’ Healthy, Wealthy, and Dumb, just like the classic Stooges movie. After Curly wins $50,000, the Stooges start living the high life… that is, until they figure out how little they get to keep after taxes.

It’s just like living in California!