From time to time, it is worth calling out the editorial board of the Los Angeles Times for their hubris, and extremely liberal view of the world. Today is as good a day as any (although their editorials really make it possible to do so almost on a daily basis). The Times editorializes today against Senate Republican Leader Bob Dutton’s statements that there are not votes in his caucus to assist Governor Brown with his plan to raise taxes by placing them on a special election ballot.
Obviously if Republicans do not think that increasing taxes is a solution to the out-of-whack, spending-orgy induced budget crisis — then Republicans support an all-cuts budget. As they should. Taxpayers should not be punished for the house of cards of taxpayer funded spending that was created over decades by a shameless coalition of liberal activists and public employee union leaders. It’s not convenient to have to speedily deconstruct what took so long to build, but it is hardly fair to punish hard working (if they aren’t unemployed) Californians for the state overspending crisis.
Getting back to the issue at hand, the Times editorial chides Dutton for saying that Democrats will have to decide on how to handle the budget. This is a function of the Democrats wishing for, and getting, a majority vote budget. The premise is that if Republicans are not going to provide votes for new taxes, which is all Democrats need from Republicans, then the Democrats should go ahead and use their new-found budget writing autonomy to figure out how to prioritize a lot less spending.
To the arch-liberals at the Times, it is unfathomable to them that there would be a valid point of view (let alone one held by over forty elected legislators) that steep cuts are preferable to socking it to taxpayers in the middle of a recession.
To our Republican friends in the legislature, we would simply remind you that when the Times goes on a screed like the one today, be assured that you are completely in touch with the constituents in your district, who by and large think nothing like the liberal elites that populate the Times editorial board.