Second year running.

Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s administration said Thursday that its new revenue projections show the state will finish the 2011-2013 budget years with a surplus rather than the deficit predicted earlier this year.

The projections were based on stronger-than-anticipated personal income growth last year, Walker officials said. The numbers could give the governor a boost as he heads into a June 5 recall election against Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

Gee, you think?

What’s particularly entertaining about this story was the way that designated scapegoat Democratic nominee Mayor Tom Barrett simultaneously tried to call the surplus, and try to give Scott Walker advice on how to spend said surplus. Which is really funny, since normally Barrett’s answer to everything is to raise the tax rate. Including the question “Isn’t it great that there are new property tax rate ceilings?” I find it fascinating that the Democrats in Wisconsin are trying to run a ‘change’ election when the change in question would be Higher Taxes And Budget Deficits!… but then, politicians have to work with what they’re given. And they do have a bright side: why, those poor people could be running on a platform of Give Bloated Public Sector Unions Back Their Premiere Seat At The Trough!

That’s just a hypothetical platform, mind you: anybody with a triple digit IQ could tell you that that sort of thing would be electoral suicide.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

PS: Stand with Walker.