In his latest video production, Governor Jerry Brown says that he is “perplexed” as to why there are not four Republican votes to pass his proposed budget, which would include placing on the ballot the largest tax increase in California history.  What Governor Brown casually mentions as “temporary extensions” of taxes represents every family in California making a four digit mandatory shift of money from their family budget over to the state’s budget.  Brown fails to mention that the five years of “temporary extensions” that he proposes are in fact a renewal of taxes that were sold to Californian’s in 2009 as temporary themselves.  It begs the question of what is the difference, really, between a permanent tax and a temporary tax that keeps getting extended?  Brown fails to mention all together in his video that he is not only asking for Republicans to put up votes to advance the prospects of tax increases, but that he wants the legislature to also simply raise taxes for a year regardless of what the outcome of a special election might be.

One cannot blame Jerry Brown, as an ultra-liberal, from being confused about Republican resolve to protect California taxpayers.  As we sit here in the midst of recession, there is nothing worse that the legislature could be doing than raising taxes — and no bigger statement of political tone-deafness than voting to put massive taxes on the ballot (never mind the fact that poll after poll shows that the voters will reject these taxes).  Republicans understand that the best way to protect taxpayers is to have no special election at all.  It’s time for the stewards of state government to do with states finances what every family in California is doing — balancing their budgets with available income.  It is inherently selfish and presumptuous to, in essence, tell Californians that in order to make the process of balancing the state budget easier, we are going to make it harder for everyone else to balance their budgets.

To those rogue Republican legislators who think that they are somehow smarter than the average Republican legislator, and think that “cutting a deal” with the Democrats to place massive taxes on the ballot in return for some reforms that only the handful of them think it a good trade off, I plead with you to just stop.  What you are doing is, to be blunt, selfish.  You can’t guarantee a massive tax increase on a low-turnout ballot will be defeated.  I have yet to hear about the tens of millions of dollars the group of you have secured into a political committee devoted to ensuring their defeat.  No, what you will accomplish by working to “strike a deal” is to again facilitate the agenda of the majority party and the public employee unions.

There is a clear path hear for both policy and political wins for Republicans — and that is a unified GOP that stops any tax increases dead in their tracks.  Then that unity carries into the 2012 elections where we all need to work together to pick up new Republican legislators with the opportunities afforded by redistricting.  Many of the big reforms that we would all like to see will come before voters in the form of ballot initiatives, which can be places on the ballot without “bartering with the devil” and facilitating the agenda of public employee union bosses.

If Republicans hold firm against placing tax increases on the ballot, that will auger well for 2012.  If our unity crumbles, look for a tough haul next year — with Republican resources being diverted to fight taxes on the ballot, and conservatives dividing their energies between trying to pick up new GOP seats and figuring out how to make sure that there are negative consequences for Republicans who ally with the unions.  As one FR reader commented to me in an email last week, “What is the point of picking up new Republican votes to stop tax increases if the Republicans in the legislature now are willing to cut deals to advance tax increases to the ballot?”

So to recap — if Republicans stand together, we deliver de facto tax relief to Californians who are hurting.  That is a significant policy achievement.  That is where our focus should be.  To choose another course would be the equivalent of standing in a circle and shooting at our own team.

As to our friends, the Democrats — this morning Assemblyman Jose Solario shared with his Facebook friends a link to Governor Brown’s video, and the brief commentary, “Flying back up to Sacramento now to get this budget wrapped up!  We are planning to pass it on or before this Wednesday.”

To my friend Jose, I would suggest that you present to your caucus a no-new-taxes budget (here is your crib sheet) — which will ensure that you will pass it on Wednesday.  Ironically while you wouldn’t need GOP votes for a budget that doesn’t raise taxes, you just might get some!

Flying back up to Sacramento now to get this budget wrapped up! We are planning to pass it on or before this Wednesday.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 13th, 2011 at 9:23 am and is filed under Blog Posts.