WHEN can we dispense with the empty rhetoric  and focus on the problems at hand? Every time I hear the dishonest blather that we could fire every state worker and still not solve our fiscal problems I get all fired up!  As if making this point negates ANY further discussion! And NO ONE has remotely suggested we fire ALL state workers which they know perfectly well. But isn't it only reasonable that cutting our work force down to a more sustainable level AND one that compares at least on some level to those of comparable size and population would HELP us move closer to an affordable future? Remember these are the same deceitful folks that have ADDED 48 "teacher coaches" at the SAME time they handed out pink slips to 200 teachers in the ASD. Added additional lawyers to the dept of Law which now consists of over 300 attorneys doing what??? And the list goes on and on.. in the face of massive budget shortfalls. We have our own swamp to drain. Stay strong state senate!! We are with you!