Despite the fact that this is the second day that I have requested a briefing on this budget "deal" from Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill and/or Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines, the silence is deafening.
It is unfortunate because I am all ears — and as I wrote with a bunch of fellow leaders of the State Republican Party, we would like to gain some perspective from our two legislative leaders, whom we hold in high regard.
In the absence of any more information — I continue to judge this "deal" based on the information available through main stream media sources.
So let me just say what I am thinking and what I have heard from literally every GOP leader, donor and activist to whom I have spoken or heard from via e-mail — this plan is terrible for California and extremely injurious to the Republican Party’s ability to win elections next year.
Over in the Capitol Weekly, there is a headline about Republicans winning "concessions" on what I will call relative minor policy items, when compared to the outrageous and massive $14.8 BILLION dollars in TAX INCREASES.
The best analogy I can come up with is that I feel like everyone I know is standing on the deck of the titanic, watching Villines and Cogdill turn us into the iceberg that will sink the ship. And from up in the deck house, the leaders are calling over the loudspeaker "we fixed the plumbing in bathroom off the main dining room."
Of course you want to fix the plumbing all around the ship — it works better that way. But the fixes here and there are academic when the ship plows into the iceberg and starts taking on water. $14.8 billion in taxes is an iceberg so big that you cannot help but plow the ship right into it.
I have NO CLUE or understanding about what Cogdill and Villines’ thought process is here — I know these two well enough to know that they "get it" in terms of taxes. This is very depressing. Especially when the "success" is a list of negotiated "cuts" — but need I remind everyone — the state is running out of money. You don’t have to negotiate for cuts, they are coming no matter what…
On the short term, Republicans need to rally, and oppose this deal, and turn away from the "iceberg" — we owe it to California taxpayers. It sounds like from my calls around that Republicans don’t want to go up on this. In the Senate Caucus, it is doubtful if there are enough votes. In the Assembly, it is less certain because it takes a long time to contact a lot of folks.
But there is not one Republican whom I know that could possibly think this is a good idea, under ANY scenario. But then I know Cogdill and Villines — and THEY seem to think that this a deal is worth voting for???
February 12th, 2009 at 12:00 am
You need to REMOVE the current Republican leadership to make the point that they do not speak for the party. If you do not, then YOU are part of the problem. You must do more than complain, otherwise, this monster is going to take life.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Both the Senate & Assembly Republicans need to call Villines and Cogdill out the meetings to report, if what we are hearing is even close to what is being considered they both should be removed as leaders and new leaders installed to represent the Republican Party. They have failed in their leadership if they have agreed to billions in taxes. If their respective caucuses fail to axe them they are party to the deal and should be held accountable as well.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:00 am
I hope that Schwarzenegger has promised Cogdill and Villines some plum post at an obscure, waste of tax money board, commission or agency… because they’ll need it after they get RECALLED.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Mike Villines is such a liar. If anyone hasn’t heard the John & Ken montage of him on KFI a few months ago, they need to go listen to it. Thay’ve got him on record saying unequivically a bunch of different ways that there will not be any new taxes.