In fact, just six votes were all that separated the decision – that’s a pretty close vote. It is a clear indication that there are quite a few conservative Republican leaders who believe the initiatives will put the state’s finances on a responsible path. This vote was taken via secret ballot so that county chairs could vote their conscience, rather than being pressured by others to take a position that they otherwise would not. I’m hoping the California Republican Party will follow suit at the upcoming executive committee meeting on April 18th.
The County Chairs who supported the special election measures this weekend believe that Prop 1A will do this. So do I and we are in good company – the California Taxpayers Association, CalChamber and many local chambers, the Orange County Taxpayers Association, the Taxpayers Association of Central California, Former Secretary of State Bill Jones, Former Congressman Tom Campbell, Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines and many other conservative business and Republican leaders agree that this reform is critical.
We also have to give the 2/3 vote requirement for tax increases a fighting chance to stay in place by instituting the real budget stability Prop 1A will create. Look at the facts: every time we have a long budget stalemate and run a deficit, the first thing the Democrats start to attack is the 2/3 vote, and after the past two years of budget distress, their calls are being heard by voters. However, if we establish a functional budget system, this pressure will be significantly relieved.
We still have over a month before Californians go to the polls and vote on these important reform measures. I am positive that as Republicans come to learn about Propositions 1A through 1F, they will decide for themselves what the correct action is for the state and pass them. Imagine California’s government actually putting money into a rainy day fund during the good times in order to protect us from massive tax increases during the bad and not being able to use a boom in state revenue for their own political spending sprees. This is a California so many Republicans say they wish they had – a state with fiscal discipline. This is the California I have come to believe Prop 1A will give us.
April 6th, 2009 at 12:00 am
I know Jill, we’re just so under taxed right now in CA. It’s horrible isn’t it?
April 6th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Because of the way Prop. 1A is structured, there will never again be another tax decrease. The budget restraint imposed by Prop. 1A is based on the revenues raised during the prior ten years. Since lowering a tax ostensibly lowers revenue, the tax consumers in this state will never permit that to happen. Republicans who support this measure are being duped.
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Huh?
This is the best the Yes on Prop 1A camp can muster?
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Allan, I think we are on the same side on the tax issue, but have come to different conclusions about what will stem the tide of new taxation.
Don, just who is doing the duping…CalChamber, the CA Taxpayer Association, or the Orange County Taxpayer Association? These are organizations I’ve learned to trust. Enlighten me on why that sentiment should change.
Joseph, I’m not part of any “camp.” Anyone who knows the first thing about me knows that much. I’m an average Californian trying to cut through the spin from all the camps and find credible information from level-headed groups and people I trust to have the best interest of people like me and my neighbors at heart. Tell me…of the organizations backing Prop 1A, who is lying to me?
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
“Tell me…of the organizations backing Prop 1A, who is lying to me?”
LOL Jill! How about the five Republicans that voted for the no tax pledge for starters and then voted for all the new taxes. Does that qualify? I think everyone can stipulate that those five all lied…right?
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
That should be “they signed” the tax pledge. My bad
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Allan, I understand you’re upset wtih the legislature, but I’m asking a different question. Focus for a sec…
CalChamber, the CA Taxpayer Association, and the Orange County Taxpayer Association back Prop 1A. Why shouldn’t I trust their analysis?
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Again Jill, if you think you’re so under taxed, then you should definately vote for these Props. I foolishly thought the mission statement of a group that names itself “CA Taxpayers Association” would be to defend taxpayers and not the bureaucracy.
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
So your position is that the CA Taxpayers Association’s analysis of Prop 1A is flawed?
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Yes, extremely flawed.
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
there is a long list of trusted organizations that believe the tradeoff for permanent budget reform and spending limits are worth one-to-two years of temporary taxes. A vote against 1A is a vote for the status-quo. and we all know how well the status quo has served us.
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
I don’t think it is fair to say that if you oppose 1A, you support the status quo. I think that there is a lot of sentiment that the “reforms” in this measure, in order to garner public employee union support (such as the CTA), don’t serve as much of a constraint on state spending. Then there is the matter of $16 billion in additional taxes…
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Would it be fair to say that if someone has a better plan than 1A they should float it, instead of just saying ‘no’ to everybody else’s best attempts?
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
How about the idea of real governmental budget cuts? Most of the alleged cuts (a claim of $15 billion) in the last budget agreement were actually mere reductions in anticipated increases. There were only about $2 billion in actual cuts. The tax increases, on the other hand, were very real. Why has government employment actually increased since June 2008, while private employment has decreased about 5%?
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
“…quite a few conservative Republican leaders who believe the initiatives will put the state’s finances on a responsible path” does not accurately reflect what happened at the County Chairmen’s Association (CCA)meeting. The vote was about whether the CCA should recommend to the CRP Excom or whether to make formal endorsements in CCA’s name. It hinged on CCA’s status – is CCA an independent organization with the right to endorse or is CCA a committee of the CRP which does not have the right to endorse, but can recommend. After a lengthy debate, complete with lawyers from both sides, the County Chairmen decided that CCA is an independent organization. The vast majority of the no votes were from those who wanted to recommend so the the Party would speak with one voice. There were a few Chairmen who thought the Party should stay out this election (“the party of no:, etc.) I don’t recall any Chairmen speaking strongly in favor of 1A.
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Don, these are excellent, truly excellent questions. And asking these questions is the first 2% of developing a plan. CalChamber and the CA Taxpayers Assoc have done the rest of the 98% of the work, and I’ve read it and it makes sense to me.
Howard, what you said goes straight to the heart of what is troubling about all this. If there were County Chairs who had read the independent analysis from CalChamber and the CA Taxpayers Association, and DID feel strongly about Prop 1A, is there any chance they might have felt intimidated to keep their mouths shut? Is that why the vote was taken by secret ballot? Was there anybody in the room asking, “Since when is the CRP leadership no longer in sync with the biggest pro-business and pro-taxpayer organizations in the State?”
It seems like the CRP leadership is taking a radical turn away from our usual friends and allied organizations.
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Jill, I think you misunderstood the vote against Proposition 1A at the County Chairmen’s Association meeting. NO ONE spoke in favor of it. No one at all. I am not aware of ANY County Chairman or any Republican (or Democrat) Central Committees that have endorsed Proposition 1A. As I attempted to explain, the people who voted against endorsing a “No” vote were almost unanimously in favor of recommending a “No” vote to the CRP Executive Committee. Ask them and they will confirm that point. None of them would dream of coming out in support of Prop 1A, which is what your comments imply.
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
I just want to be sure I’m understanding this correctly…every single solitary county chair in the CRP is working in opposition to CalChamber, the CA Taxpayers Association, the Orange Co. Taxpayers Association, and the Taxpayers Association of Central CA? Is that correct, Tom?
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Do you think that might put the CRP out of step with mainstream Republican voters who hold those organizations in very high regard?
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
“Despite its glaring faults and peculiarities, OCTax supports Proposition 1A.”
This is the first sentence in the Orange County Taxpayer’s Association’s statement in support of Prop. 1A. Jill, these organizations you cite support this proposition because they have capitulated. They believe this is the best deal we can get, and they believe that if the propositions don’t pass, we will get something worse (note that OC Tax opposes Prop. 1B, 1C, and 1D, by the way). I refuse to be that cynical. I think it is better to let the people see what true selfish pigs the government unions and Democrats in government are, and to use the opportunity of this crisis to try for something better. Locking in high taxes, via the extensions mandated by Prop. 1A, plus the “spending cap” that encourages maximization of government revenue is wrong. How about, instead, disciplining our Republican legislators to hold the line and follow through on their written commitments to the taxpayers? How about enacting the 2005 budget, which would be balanced with today’s revenues? Would we really collapse by enacting a budget from only 4 years ago?
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Jill, Tom Hudson is right. As I said, a very few people wanted to not take no position, the rest were against 1A and were voting on the method of expressing ourselves to the Excom. This is a group of people who are not easily intimidated. If they are they shouldn’t be County Chairs.
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Howard, I’m glad to know the CCA remains independent, b/c the county chairs are elected from the rank and file, and should always have their own voice.
Whether or not it’s a good idea to part ways with organizations that have been good friends of the CRP remains to be seen. I’m not confident that puts the CRP in a leadership role. I fear it just alienates us further from genuine efforts to reform the State for the better, and marginalizes the CRP to the average Californian.
When CalChamber and a number of local chambers around the state get behind something, that matters to our constituents. And to say that all of these reputable organizations have ‘capitulated’ is surely offensie to them.
April 8th, 2009 at 12:00 am
the Cal Chamber was among the first organizations to bend over and drop trou for Gray Davis when he became governor, so I don’t care a whit what they have to say about anything.
The California Taxpayer Association (ironically another CTA) runs interference for the corporate interests who always throw everyone else to the alligators hoping to satiate their appetites before they get to them.
April 8th, 2009 at 12:00 am
I think the problem is that Jill and others like her think that California’s state government is logical decision making body capable of governing. While in reality it is a FREAKIN’ DISASTER and should be driven into bankruptcy not given more money to wreck havoc with! Government is not the solution it is the problem, Jill and her ilk don’t believe this.
April 8th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Sean, thank a Veteran (like me) that you have the 1st Amendment right to be as uncouth and tactless in your remarks as you wish. But do not make the mistake of believing that you, or anyone else, can speak for me, my beliefs, or my position. You are wrong, and you are out of line.
April 8th, 2009 at 12:00 am
I have a real low opinion of those who wish to take thousands of dollars out of my pocket. So if I was uncouth and tactless then mission accomplished.