blogging the recession even if the experts tell me this isn’t a recession

Some economic experts calmly reassure us on infotainment shows that we are not in a recession…yet. They may know all things in the bond market and interest rates but it’s hard not to believe them when we are paying out more than $4/gallon of gas or when we watch yet another neighbor pack up and give up their American dream to foreclosure. People, like my husband, are out of work with no promise of steady income in the future. We’re doing okay right now but whose to say how long we will be okay…or how long it will take for me to go crazy with my darling husband home and underfoot catching up on his laptop solitaire and Law and Order marathons.

Today it seems very likely that there will be more folks sucker punched financially in my state as our Governator signed an executive order to cut state jobs and wages. Now, I can try to appreciate the dilemma he struggled with because the fact my state’s governing body was unable to get a working budget into place before the beginning of this fiscal year was no surprise. What would have been a surprise would be if they did turn in a budget to the Governor’s desk on time. Of course the Governor’s decision created the perfect opportunity for state legislature leaders to put out their political agenda in their defense. I guess I am supposed to be reassured to know that the legislators are grappling over how to close a $15.2 billion budget gap. I mean they are so sincere when they step up to the press microphones. Frankly I’d rather see them locked up in the State Capitol doing their flipping job. They should remain in Sac, roll up their sleeves and get the job done. Whether I voted for you or not, Greg Aghazarian and Dave Cogdill, you work for me. I contracted you to do your job which includes coming up with a working budget and doing it ON TIME. You have not done your job. In a place like my workplace you would be fired…seriously. Yes, I understand that you both are trying hard to deal with this huge monetary gap without raising my taxes and cutting important programs like the condoms for prisoners pilot program. But the fact remains that you and your colleagues still don’t have a working budget. I think the Governor is cutting the wages of the wrong state employees. It should be your wages that are reduced down to the National minimum wage, not those state employees who are just working for a living. Good people are facing the loss of their homes. Good people are wondering how they can feed their children. Good people are stressing about how they can afford veterinary care for their beloved, lifetime friend. Mr. Aghazarian and Mr. Cogdill, I can’t accept any explanation or excuses from you or your colleagues when I see people genuinely worried about what they will do and how long can they survive this. It’s time for you to stop explaining and defending and to just get your butts to the Capitol and get a budget done…NOW!

Over at Motherhood Uncensored is the beginning of Blog the Recession Month. Will it solve the California State Budget clusterf@%k? Will it bring the price of gasoline down to less than $3 a gallon? Will the stock market stop taking a dump? Will it settle the “adjustment” we have been living with in the real estate market? Will it end this not-really-a-recession recession? Perhaps not. But never underestimate the power of word…I would say the power of the mighty pen but it’s actually a keyboard which given the way the media has lately sat up and taken notice of women bloggers maybe we can bring about some positive change. At the very least it will feel good to get some of this stress, worry and general pissed off feelings off of our chest and maybe if we all jump on this bandwagon we might just discover that we aren’t alone in this not-really-a-recession recession.