This morning at 11am, I will be at a press conference being headed up by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, where a group of us are filing a lawsuit today against the illegal action of the state legislature in allowing billions of dollars in potential new tax increases to be passed out of the State Senate and the State Assembly without the 2/3rds vote required under the State Constitution. Joining HJTA and the FlashReport in filing this suit are over 40 State Legislators (Republicans all, of course), the National Federation of Independent Business, Americans for Prosperity, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, and KFI radio talk show hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou.
As followers of Golden State politics know, in response to the reasonable and strong position of legislative Republicans that after increasing state spending by over 40% in just four years, our state’s fiscal crisis should not be resolved by punishing Californians and damaging the economy with new tax increases. Legislative Democrats cooked up a scheme to pass billions of dollars in new taxes without any GOP votes trying to use some legal maneuvering to have all of the taxes categorized as “fees” and thus supposedly avoiding the 2/3rds vote requirement. Totally outrageous.
While Governor Schwarzenegger, shortly after the vote, announced he would reject the package, he rather conspicuously did not say he was rejecting the proposal because of the illegal tax hike scheme. In fact, since making his announcement, he has continued to negotiate with the Democrats. Republican legislative leaders have rightly said that it is impossible for them to sit at the negotiating table as long as the illegal tax-hikes are a part of the equation.
**There is more – click the link**
January 6th, 2009 at 12:00 am
You have the same clowns running the party for the last twenty years…they are like Carm Basillio, the prize fighter who never saw a punch he did not like taking….
It is time to clean house and anyone who thinks running Whitman or Campbell will help should be immediately driven to ASSISTED LIVING. You should run Devore or Denham….fresh,vibrant, courageous and relate well to the common man….
January 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
First, a word of thanks to those who supported the lawsuit. Since the bill has been vetoed, I’m not sure where the suit is going. But from an average taxpayer to the group of patriots who stood up for it, thank you.
We should be using this time to be going through the various programs and identifying outdated, redundent or wasteful programs. We should be putting these programs out for public display.
It is not enough for us to be against taxes. We must also oppose the kind of spending that has brought us this mess. We need to be specific and use our loudest voices to cut out waste.
GOP legislators, I know that we ask much of you, but you are the ones who have access to the necessary information. This is why you got elected.