Senator George Runner’s office just sent this over:
When it comes to crafting a balanced budget, teamwork counts
By Sen. George Runner
While I appreciate the strong efforts by Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines and his leadership team to make this budget “as good as it could get,” I believe more experience would have helped negotiate a better deal.
Assembly Republicans showed political muscle by striving to become more relevant and an active part of the negotiation. But if only they had chosen to lean more from their colleagues in the Senate who have gone through more than one or two budgets we might have a true “fiscally responsible” budget to vote on today in the Senate.
I believe this budget deal was rushed and though it is being sold as the best deal possible, it certainly left some serious policy and fiscal issues on the table that could and should have been addressed.
The Medi-Cal Minor Consent Program is an example of something that should have been axed. Funded exclusively with state dollars (the federal government doesn’t chip in because it requires states to obtain proof of citizenship for Medi-Cal funded pregnancy related services to minors, and California doesn’t comply), this program provides free abortions to underage girls (who may be illegal aliens) without notifying their parents and irrespective the parents’ ability to pay. This is a program that should not be funded and Senate Reps are committed to meeting this goal.
Certainly many voters oppose having their tax dollars pay for abortions and many taxpayers are angry about benefits for illegals. And then there are Californians who prefer that parents are notified when their minor children obtain medical services. Given those facts it seems extraordinary that Assembly Reps would vote for a budget that combines all three of these noxious elements in one program.
Historically, we have never succeeded in obtaining tax relief for Californians in a budget deal without involving Senate leadership and unfortunately this time is no exception. By leaving Pro Tem Don Perata out of the tax relief discussions, Assembly leadership managed to undo the yeoman’s work that had been done this year to develop a true Economic Stimulus Package that would have done much to alleviate our out year budget deficits.
Unfortunately, instead they handed a massive megaphone to Perata enabling him to proclaim far and wide that Republicans tried once again to dole out corporate welfare and he and his Democrats stood against that effort on behalf of the aged, blind and disabled.
Additionally, by rushing to finish the deal, instead of taking a more measured approach, they allowed the Democrats to “sunset” of the entire Research & Development Tax Credit, which is already on the books. This amounts to a $600 million tax increase on businesses in California in five years unless corrected. Unfortunately, this is what happens when you rush through a budget deal in the wee hours of the night.
However, the Assembly Reps have already left town leaving this unintended consequence in their wake, because this was the “best deal that could be negotiated.”
Most importantly, however, Senate Reps continue to have serious concerns with the size and scope of the current budget deficit and especially the insurmountable deficits in the out years. If this is the best deal the Assembly Republicans could get this year when we faced a $2.7 billion budget deficit, then what about next year when the deficit balloons to twice that high? Will we hear a repeat of that song when the Democrats put forth a budget balanced with $2.5 billion in new taxes because “it is the best we can do?”
I certainly hope not, but that remains our fear.
Now is the time to put our vacation plans aside, get back to Sacramento and craft a better budget for all Californians.