PC's gun-to-the-Head Budget

As a bit of fun leading up to Budget time, I've reposted here my write-up of the 2001 LIbz Alternative Budget. (In fact, for anyone who notices these things my article is awfully similar to one I wrote for The Free Radical back in 1997. Isn't recycling a wonderful thing?).

As my PC-Budget liberally uses PJ O'Rourke's ideas on cutting the budget to size, it seems only fair that I quote liberally from PJ O'Rourke now so you get an idea of what's here, this from his fine book 'Parliament of Whores' :

The secret to balancing the budget is to remember that all tax revenue is the result of holding a gun to somebody's head. Not paying taxes is against the law. If you don't pay your taxes you'll be fined. If you don't pay the fine you'll be jailed. If you try to escape from jail, you'll be shot. Thus, I - in my role as citizen and voter - am going to shoot you - in your role as taxpayer and ripe suck - if you don't pay your share of the national tab. Therefore, every time the govt spends money on anything, you have to ask yourself, ‘Would I kill my kindly, gray-haired mother for this?’

Surely a good question to keep in mind this afternoon.