Massachusetts: We may not have enough money to hold the 2012 primary

There’s a possibility that Massachusetts won’t be able to participate fully in the next presidential election.

Secretary of State Bill Galvin says there’s not enough money to run a primary in March 2012, according to Gov. Deval Patrick’s budget for the next fiscal year.

“The number that was submitted by the governor despite the fact that he suggested, or his administration suggested, that it would be a 2 percent cut, in fact is a far more drastic cut. My budget will go down anyways for the coming fiscal year in the elections area because we have one fewer election in the upcoming fiscal year than we did in the last, but nevertheless, it’s a problem to run this March 6, 2012 event based upon the numbers they’ve submitted,” Galvin told WBZ.

I could be wrong, and often actually am, but this strikes me as a budgetary brush back pitch. It’s similar to the cries we always hear every time anyone suggests cutting state or local budgets – “We’ll have to fire police and firefighters!” The actual proposed cuts mean no such thing, and they know it. They just don’t want to have to deal with the cuts, so they make a fuss to get them reconsidered.

That’s how this Massachusetts action strikes me: An attempt to push back rather than show leadership and make tough choices.