It’s the same playbook every time.

1. Declare a fiscal emergency where the local/state/federal government is going to run out of money.

2. Immediately take the possibility of any sort of new or increased tax (Or other obvious way of raising additional revenue) off the table. These should be dismissed out of hand as if the concept does not exist.

3. Pick (a) scapegoat(s) to blame. Ideally, they should be as many of the following as possible: poor, minority, liberal, union, public sector, middle class, immigrants. This group or groups will be the real cause of the problems.

4. Give a plan to save the budget that involves eviscerating support/pay/rights for the selected group(s). Insist that this is the only way and there are no other options.

5. Repeat as needed to twist government to your liking.