Barry Boardman, chief economist on the staff, said the state could face a $500million gap when the budget year ends June 30. He offered a little more optimism than lawmakers, though: He said if April tax collections are higher than anticipated, the shortfall could be cut in half. Those collections, though, are so difficult to predict that they could just as easily balloon the budget gap.
World Congress of Environmental and Resource Economists here I come (not ... if rotten news like this translates into a budget freeze)!
