Seventy six of New York state's zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens are targeted by the governor for devastating budget cuts this year, with 100% cuts in state funding by 2010. This will put the onus of supporting these institutions on the financially strapped public.

This story reminds me of playing Sim City. I seem to remember that if your city is in a lot of debt, and you attempt to rectify the problem by cutting popular things like zoos and parks, it ultimately will lead to an unhappy populace, which then ultimately leads to higher crime, unemployment, and rioting. If you also raise taxes at the same time, your city is destined for failure. Then again, when you've borrowed every dime you can, there aren't a lot of moves you can make that will be popular.

I just hope this isn't the start of a nationwide trend to cut budgets of popular diversions. With the economy making everyone unhappy, it seems such diversions might be essential for maintaining our sanity.