In yet another scummy move, the Mass. state legislature claims it needs to increase taxes because eventhough the budget has been slashed, there’s still a shortfall.

The comments may have made the big tax increase easier to swallow and, on paper, state spending appears to shrink this year by $100 million. But upon closer examination, some see that total state spending is poised to rise by approximately 2.6 percent, or $600 million, aside from expected vetos by the governor that will reduce the increase by $300 million. That includes hundreds of millions of dollars in expenses that were shifted off the budget.

It sounds to me like they’re playing the same games as Enron and World.com.