Budgeting is no fun. For instance, just the other day Bobble Tiki made the painful decision to only hit the bikini barista stand three days a week on his way in to the office. It's called fiscal responsibility. Saturday, State Sen. Steven Conway and 29th District Rep. Connie Ladenburg will mingle with their constituents at the Topping HOPE Center, 3875 S. 66th St., Tacoma, from 10 a.m. to noon as part of a public town hall meeting aimed at opening up the lines of communications between political leaders and the public. After a presentation on the ominous state budget by a staffer from the Senate Ways and Means Committee, Ladenburg and Conway will open up the dialogue with the folks they represent about how to handle the massive shortfalls and painful decisions.

[Topping HOPE Center, Saturday, Jan. 29, 10 a.m. to noon, free, 3875 S. 66^th St., Tacoma]