Actually, you said "all the while" which generally means the whole time. Second, if you understood how are budget is passed and funded then the minority holds equal blame for the budget. That is because for the past many years the minority has demanded extra funding for pet projects above and beyond the proposed budget. Due to the CBR needing 3/4 vote instead of a simple majority that means the majority has to buy the votes of the minority. Happened every year. And third, we are FAR from broke, we have 50 billion in the permanent fund and another 5 billion or so in earnings reserve/CBR.