Economics for dummies

Why a budget surplus is a good thing:

The House also recommends using only about $220 million from the state's $1.2 billion "rainy day" cash reserves to cushion the projected revenue shortfall on the current budget. Kaine had initially recommended about $261 million, but increased it last week to $423 million.

With "hard times" forthcoming ahead of an economic slow down within our state after the extraordinary growth over the past few years, isn't it nice to have the "luxury" of being able to rely on such a large supply of cash reserves thanks to the responsibility of Governor Warner? Who, much to the dismay of many on the right, was intelligent enough to realize that enormous economic growth does not continue forever, but rather in (generally natural) "peaks and valleys" and that we would need to rely on our "rainy day fund" eventually.

Next time those of you who have a conniption and begin hollering for a "refund" of "your" money every time the government is running a surplus, remember this!