So yeah, that whole capital gains dependence? We're still paying for it, so to speak. With 55 days left in fiscal 2009, the Department of Revenue's mind-blowing press release speaks for itself:

Monthly collection is nearly $1 billion less than one year ago; steep capital gains decline pushes revenues $456 million below benchmark

Revenue Commissioner Navjeet K. Bal today announced that preliminary revenue collections for April 2009 totaled $1.781 billion, down $953 million or 34.9 percent from last April.

Total tax collections were $456 million below the benchmark corresponding to the April 15 revised FY09 revenue estimate of $19.333 billion. The decline was due largely to income tax collections, which fell $905 million or 40.7 percent from April 2008, $420 million below benchmark.

FY09 year-to-date tax collections total $15.187 billion, down $1.936 billion from a year ago. Taxpayers received $382 million in refunds in April, up $77 million or 25.3 percent from a year ago, $64 million higher than in the monthly benchmark.

The Senate's budget chief was on NECN tonight: the Senate's version of the fiscal 2010 budget will have "no new taxes" and based on existing revenues. (Such as they are.) Like in the House, a tax increase will be up to members. "I'll tell ya, there's no consensus on that at this point," he said. His odds on a tax increase - "50/50."