Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman (R-Tustin) – ““I agree with the Governor, we cannot tax our way out of this problem. We must regain control of spending and live within our means. As we move forward, the level of spending the Governor has proposed must be viewed as a ceiling and not a floor. Every decision this legislature makes between January and June from sub-committee to the Floor must be made with an eye on the state’s bottom line. We need to act quickly and responsibly if we want to reduce the impacts of our current fiscal emergency. This includes making mid-year adjustments. Now is the time to debate the state’s needs, prioritize them appropriately and ensure adequate funding for the most important first.”
Senator Dennis Hollingsworth (R-Murrieta), Budget Vice-Chair – “By no means can we solve California’s budgetary problems by raiding the taxpayers’ wallets. Though cuts are never easy, with over $140 billion annually flowing into the state’s coffers it is clear that we must cut the fat from the bloated Sacramento bureaucracy. The Governor is moving in the right direction by proposing a budget that by-and-large adheres to these principles through spending cuts and constitutional reform. In the coming weeks, the Legislature needs to work quickly to prioritize where the cuts come from, in such a way that protects public safety, and to eliminate any hidden taxes.”
Senator George Runner (R-Antelope Valley), Caucus Chair – “2008 is the year of budget reckoning for the Governor and the Legislature. It will be the year we return to old fashioned ideas like spending within our means and reprioritizing government obligations to taxpayers if we are to balance our books and pave a better financial future for generations of Californians.”
Senator Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley) – “It is time that California gets its fiscal house in order and the Governor’s proposed budget is only a start. The real question is if it will be a good end – a balanced budget with no tax increases. I encourage the Governor to work with Republican members to achieve those goals.”
Senator Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto) – “I really appreciate that the Governor continues to hammer on the fact that what we have is a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Projections show that revenues are up $3 billion and yet we are woefully in the red. We simply have to rein in our spending – there’s no way around it. While I don’t agree with all of the cuts proposed by the Governor, there are many that I do. We need to immerse ourselves in the details of the budget, prioritize our spending appropriately, trim the fat and the wasteful spending, and only then will we attain a balanced, fiscally responsible budget that makes sense and does not raise taxes.”
Senator Dave Cox (R-Fair Oaks) – “Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and tackle this budget crisis. In the past, my colleagues on the Democratic side of the aisle have led negotiations with little or no input from Republicans. My experience tells me that not engaging both Republicans and Democrats in this process will do an extreme disservice to those who elected us to make the tough decisions. The people of California demand and deserve more than partisan rhetoric. I want to encourage legislative leaders in both houses to fully engage all members and go through the budget program by program to set our priorities. It is only with true inclusion and discussion that we will be able to put our fiscal house back in order.
Senator Jeff Denham (R-Merced) – “As we face this budget deficit, California must focus on its two core priorities – education and public safety. While suspending Proposition 98 may help balance the state’s budget, why should our children suffer? After all the progress we have made in education, now the Governor wants to punish our kids because he didn’t make the spending cuts he needed to make last summer. I find it appalling and will not support suspending Prop. 98. I’m trying to remember the last time I heard a Californian call and ask me to release prisoners back on the street. The answer is never! Releasing alleged ‘non-violent’ offenders may help the state’s budget, but what happens to the local city and county budgets. They have to invest more in public safety to prevent property, gang and drug crimes as these individuals are back on their streets. This proposal is ludicrous.”
Senator Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga) – “Two decades ago President Ronald Reagan said, ‘The problem is not that people are taxed too little; the problem is that government spends too much.’ It’s clear to me that although we are in a different time, we have the same problem.”
Senator Tom Harman (R-Huntington Beach) – “This budget proposal recognizes that our state has a spending problem, not a revenue problem and provides a compass for the Legislature to work together on finding solutions by proposing to reduce the growth and expenditures of government. The problem is laid out for all to see – this Legislature, led and controlled for years by the liberal majority, spend your money like there is no tomorrow. At first glance, the Governor Schwarzenegger’s budget appears to be balanced by resisting new taxes; however I am deeply concerned about the methods used—relying on more borrowed money, imposing new fees and making cuts to public safety. Obviously much more must be done to rebuild California’s fiscal house.”
Senator Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) – “We are facing a very difficult year ahead. I agree with the governor that we need to reform our budget process now. We are stuck in a vicious cycle of spending more and more, and our finances are spinning out of control. We must work together to find a way to fix our budget problems, and we must start now. However, I am very concerned with the governor’s proposal to cut education funding. We cannot punish our children for the Legislature’s inability to budget efficiently. We cannot balance the budget on the backs of our children. I look forward to working with my colleagues on budget solutions that help alleviate our current fiscal crisis but do not jeopardize our state’s most important priorities.”
Senator Bob Margett (R-Glendora) – The Governor’s proposed budget shows difficult decisions will have to be made during these tough times to solve California’s fiscal crisis. The seriousness of California’s deficit necessitates the Legislature and Governor come together and fix the structural problems that consistently leave us in the red."