Assembly Republicans have one representative* on the Joint Budget Committee who has consistently opposed tax increases as part of solving the state’s fiscal crisis — Assemblyman Jim Nielsen. Nielsen serves as the Vice Chairman of the Assembly’s Appropriations and Budget Committees, and he has shared with us some thoughts about what has been taking place in that key committee.
Less than a month ago, Californians went to the polls and soundly rejected tax increases, gimmicks and massive borrowing to solve California’s budget crisis. In spite of that resounding message to the Legislature, the majority has turned a deaf ear to voters and repeated the tired mantra of more taxes and increased spending.
In the final hour, committee Democrats made history. Never have so few voted so fast to tax so many so much. It’s just breathtaking. This Legislature just passed 12 billion dollars worth of tax increases back in February, and now have the audacity to come back four months later asking for $4 billion more?
With gas prices reaching $3 a gallon, the majority party wants to increase taxes on gas again. They want to increase the vehicle license fee again, and raise taxes on a range of other services; but what do Californians get in return? A dangerous early release and direct discharge parole plan that would place up to 50,000 un-rehabilitated inmates and parolees into our communities. This is not responsible budgeting, this is a reckless plan that will endanger the lives of everyone in this state.
I am proud to say that the Budget Conference Committee was, at least, able to cut $9 billion worth of spending out of the budget. Over the last couple of weeks, the committee was able to make a lot of tough decisions to help close our $24 billion budget deficit. Unfortunately, Democrats voted down many other needed cuts. They left billions of dollars on the table to pay for pet projects at a time when California can simply not afford them. There were also no long-term reforms of the budget process.
I am committed to working over the next couple of weeks with my colleagues on the Democratic side to get a budget that reflects what Californians demanded on May 19th.
* We should note that in addition to Nielsen, Assemblyman Roger Niello is also serving as a representative of Assembly Republicans on this key committee. We here at the FlashReport think that is a bad idea. Niello, one of the nicest members of the legislature, was a key player in the passage of the big taxes/big spending/open primary deal last February, which included over $14 billion in new taxes. He also provided a key vote to cause another $16 billion in taxes to be enacted if California voters did not defeat 1A — which fortunately they did. We really should be putting on this key committee, as Senate Republicans did, members who vocally opposed 1A and the big budget/big spending/open primary raw deal. In the meantime, we can take consolation in the fact that Niello, by and large, is a team player. Presumably he won’t go "maverick" and support more taxes over the objections of the Assembly Republican Leader, Sam Blakeslee, who has drawn a hard line against any tax increases. Niello just has no credibility as a tax fighter. Watch him articulate about why an $8 billion dollar tax increase was a bad idea back in 2008, just months before he voted for a deal that included $30 billion in taxes. Oy vey!