I don't always agree with Paul Goldman, especially regarding his views on blogs in the Webb vs. Miller race. However, I STRONGLY agree with this analysis; excellent job by Mr. Goldman, well reasoned and well written.
Kaine is right: A General Assembly meltdown on the budget makes a responsible Governor MORE, not LESS. vital.Indeed, Governor Kaine has a lawful duty to keep certain things going and not allow a total shutdown of the state government should July 1 arrive and there is neither a new Fiscal year budget nor a continuing or temporary spending resolution from the General Assembly.
Admittedly, he can not be like Oliver Cromwell and basically tell the Long Parliament to go home and not come back for a decade or so [wait though: Let us not be hasty, this could be an option].
The RTD today, in a story by Hardy and Schapiro imply that Attorney General McDonnell disagrees with the Governor, the RTD reporters claiming they have seen a " still-confidential opinion by GOP Attorney General Bob McDonnell that argues that the governor is powerless to run the government if lawmakers fail to pass a budget."
It is hard for me to believe a smart lawyer that the AG says the Governor is obligated to totally "powerless", meaning he has to let the government shutdown.
NO way.
TRUE: Kaine can not appropriate money or pay bills.
ALSO TRUE: But the money issue is separate from duty to keep certain things going. The money issue involves if/when and who can be paid retroactively once the GA passes a budget or a continuing resolution.
Hello Mike and Jeff: Are you suggesting that as of 12:01 AM on July 1, the Governor must tell all the guards in the state prisons to hand the cell keys to the inmates and say "have a nice day", that he must order all state personnel handling critically ill patients to give them an aspirin and a cell phone and say call 911 if you need help, that the Governor shall demand that all out sting operations and other law enforcement activities aimed at catching criminals and terrorists be stopped while they ask all those bad guys to freeze everything until the General Assembly passes a budget?
Come on guys, use your noodle.
So-called "government shutdowns" have happened several times at the federal level, the best known the Gingrich vs Clinton stand-off over the debt ceiling I believe, an event that cinched the President's re-election.
It also is when Clinton first met Monica Lewinsky.
The government doesn't "shutdown" in the literal sense.
Will there be a continuing GA resolution?
Totally irresponsible for the GA not to pass a continuing resolution, or some temporary measure so that come July 1, so that vital and non-vital state services continue as on June 30th.
This is not a political game here, we are talking, literally, about people's lives and livelihoods.