Ear to the Ground - State News Roundup

As states request one-quarter of the entire bailout package to save themself from their own fiscal incompetence - making them the plan’s biggest beneficiaries - there is a silver lining today to some taxpayers.

Arizona Governor promised to "right the ship that has been looking to the left" over the weekend, and stated that former Gov. Napolitano had unnecessarily increased the state budget by $4 billion over her six-year tenure. California legislators have endorsed $6 billion in spending cuts, and Missouri Rep. Chris Kelly has filed a revenue-neutral bill that would replace Missouri's state income tax with a state sales tax.

Unfortunately, some can't break the tax-and spend habit: New York Gov. Paterson has decided to jet off on a European junket this week, despite a $15.8 billion overspending problem and growing concerns over disorder in his administration.

In a case of the plain bizarre, Virginia Taxpayers are paying for a mouse puppet to promote the Tax Department.

Finally, as freedom-hating Gov. Timothy M. Kaine seeks to double the state's tax on cigarettes to get more money for health care, in a case of the blinding obvious, state statistics have revealed that cigarette sales declined after the previous two rounds of tax increases.