OK, so we&8217;re using a bit of hyperbole to make our point, but the truth is that lawmakers &8212; particularly ones running for re-election soon &8212; love to spend money. Wednesday&8217;s announcement proves a nice, fat, juicy little pile of votes &8212; we mean money, of course &8212; is ripe for the picking come January&8217;s legislative session. While no one seems to know for sure, logic tells us that a good portion of the increased tax dollars at the state level have come as a result of last fall&8217;s hurricane destruction.

Large influxes of cash from insurance claims and other forms of aid have gone for lots of purchases that generated sales tax. Since those funds are not likely to come bouncing back next year, lawmakers should use extreme caution in spending it.

Although surplus is not massive in terms of the state&8217;s multi-billion dollar budget, $70 million is still $70 million One-time windfalls should always be considered wonderful gift horses. Let&8217;s not ride this one to death or abuse it before thinking through its true value.