Because here comes the legislature, and they’re planning on spending the heck out of your tax dollars.

I was perusing the fiscal impact report prepared by the Legislative Council staff tonight and was shocked at how much of our tax dollars the legislators are planning on spending.  Go and look for yourself.

Just doing a bit of quick figuring, it looks to me like if all of that legislation passes this state would go from a $500 - $600 million surplus to about a $400 million deficit.  And a lot of that spending consists of long term commitments that will be costing us for years to come.

That’s more than simply irritating.  That’s downright scary.

Of course, not all of the legislation is likely to pass, but you see my point.  North Dakota has been doing well economically over the past couple of years and the state’s tax revenues show it.  But now our legislators, on both sides of the aisle, seem determined to spend every last bit of the state’s budget surplus (and then some) before this session is through.