Here's the deal, nothing is free and, in this vein, there is a base cost of operating government, which is only increasing (costs of roads, infrastructure, services, health care, education). As oil and gas, coal and other traditional revenues that support the general fund decline, we face growing budget deficits over the next 10 years (not immediate, but in time). Add cuts and the likely need to backfill local governments (to just fund the standard stuff), we are facing either a sales tax (on the order of over 20%, based on what the analysis of a similar effort in NE demonstrated) or an income tax - but likely both. A sales tax above 8% will devastate a Wyoming main street that is already tenuously hanging on - especially along the borders of the state. We cannot cover the bill with investment income only and cutting budgets may yield some gain against the deficit but is not a magic bullet to save us.
Word is that UW will see upwards of $40-$50 million cut from its block grant coming out of JAC. To me, this is a blaring siren that UW had better consolidate its work to find excellence where we might be able to attract private investment in the institution - which will require significant attention to the broken tech transfer system SOON. They are making strides in TT, but there is much work to do.