Really? You mean when the Republicans controlled the House and Senate, when they had the votes to push through legislation, it was the Democrats who blocked that? How did that happen? Where are the bills that the Republicans pushed through to make that happen? Or maybe it didn't happen?

"Is this the time to give government employees a $110 million raise?"

Then why did Republicans agree to them in the first place? Why is it that Republicans argue for the sanctity of contracts except when they are expected to honor them? Bargaining and agreeing to something you have no intention of honoring is a pretty scummy tactic. I'm sure the employees would have bargained for something else if they knew that Republicans wanted to deny them a pay raise.

"One of the favorite tricks of the lefties and the taxocrats is to look at a $42 billion budget and to insist that there's nothing we can do about $33 some odd billion of it."

Wrong. All we've said is that cutting those dollars doesn't free up dollars in the General Fund. It's Republicans like Saul who attempt to mislead people into thinking that the State can shuffle around the entire $42 billion wherever you want when you all know that's not true.

As for the reforms:

"The state should also adopt legislation -- common in most other states -- that requires the elderly to pay for their nursing care if they have the means and prevents them from signing over assets to their heirs to qualify for Medicaid benefits."