Tomorrow we'll get the revenue forecast council's best "preliminary" guess of how the state's budget shortfall is likely to over roughly the next two and a half years.

In December, the shortfall was a forehead-smacking $5.7 billion -- which, in retrospect, some lawmakers now view as the good old days.

In a very informal survey of folks I bumped into this morning from the legislature, governor's office and the press, the betting ranged from $7.5 billion (reporter) to 8.3 (two Democratic lawmakers) to a high of $8.8 from a Republican lawmaker.

The real number will come at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow.

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