Two Quickie Thoughts on Today's Bad State Budget News. Anybody Have a Third Thought?

The news that Oregon's state budget has sprung another $500 million-plus leak leads to two insta-thoughts — and my request for help from readers for your third quickie takeaway from the bleeding budget. Here are my two thoughts:

1) The lousy budget makes today's overview in the New York Times about some of the dramatic changes (cutting the number of counties?) that other budget-strapped states have considered very topical. Let's see how long it takes for some Oregon pols to start touting their own big ideas as we near the November election.

2) The case made by Oregonians trying to get marijuana legalization on the November ballot is that legalization would generate badly needed revenues by allowing the taxing of legal pot. That argument just got a whole lot more traction as the state turns over the couch cushions again looking for cash.

Here's why I'm asking for help on a third takeaway to the budget news: One of a newsroom's hoariest traditions is what's known as "the rule of three" as in it takes three examples to make a story. But I don't have a third (and total disclosure: I'm on deadline for tomorrow's paper), so here's your chance. Give me your insta-thought in the comments.