It’s being reported in the Los Angeles Times this morning that Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed an increase in the state sales tax to deal with a state budget crisis created by years of overspending. The Governor’s office does not deny this.
I feel like going out and getting “Shame on me for believing Arnold” T-shirts for the thousands of Republican donors and activists who took Arnold’s “no new taxes” pledge as an actual covenant with the voters.
Last year the Governor supported the largest single increase in business taxes in California history for the Schwarzenegger/Nunez health care plan debacle.
Now, he is proposing billions in taxes on Californians as a component to passing a state budget. He proposes to reward overspending with more overtaxing.
Fortunately I believe that legislative Republicans have the stuff it takes to oppose this tax hike, as they opposes Schwarzenegger’s tax hike plan last year.
I wonder if the Governor has no conscience. For if he did, surely he would be consumed with guilt. To repeatedly assure thousands of people he would NEVER support new taxes for California, and then advocate them — it’s just shameful.
I remember the supposed contrast well — Phil Angelides would raise billions in new taxes and the Terminator would kill any efforts to raise them…
Now, who can get me a deal on some T-shirts?
August 5th, 2008 at 12:00 am
This makes it all the more sad that the GOP in ’03 could have stood united behind a real conservative for Governor…but stood behind Arnold’s star power and electability.
August 5th, 2008 at 12:00 am
“Only Arnold can win…. Only Arnold can win… You will be assimilated…”
Yeah I remember that well too, Daniel. I remember the sellout and all the promises. Hope all you “leaders” are happy to have backed this joke.
August 5th, 2008 at 12:00 am
So let me get this straight, revenues have increased by 40% since 2000, but we have a revenue problem? Excuse Mr Governor, but what am I missing here? It’s obvious there is no revenue problem, there is a spending problem. And don’t make me laugh when you call this “a temporary tax”. You’ll be long gone by the time this thing will sunset. Do you really want us to believe that a Democratic legislature will sunset any tax? That’s hilarious. You have failed at leadership governor…plain & simple.
August 5th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Ditto on the comments before me. Tom McC should’ve been Governor today. He has a spine and conscience, and conviction.
Jon, I’ll help pitch in for the t-shirts. And when we hand them out, can we get a recall petition started too for this guy? Talk about “Total Recall.”
August 5th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I never voted for Arnold. I never voted for the Democrat for governor either. I thought Arnold was dishonest since 2003.