By Robert Hadley, includes “… Proft questioned whether the situation is as dire as it seems. 'We’ve been hearing the doom and gloom for a long time and nobody believes if it’s real,' he said. 'People believe we can continue to play this shell game and muddle forward. Are they wrong? Should they actually be concerned or is this stuff for the number crunchers?' Weinberg said the issue is relevant because cracks are already forming in the state’s ability to cover healthcare costs for state workers and retirees as interest on the debt mounts.”