California state government continues to face a massive deficit that is in the tens of billions of dollars. A deficit that I would submit is largely a function of decades of liberal Democrat driven public policies in Sacramento that are highlighted by a virtually unchallenged and unoriginal toxic agenda – increase spending consistently, increase taxes consistently, and increase regulations consistently. This is not rocket science, when you do all three of these things consistently, you eventually hit a breaking point. You break taxpayers, and you break the economy itself.
It’s been interesting and distressing watching the political-class in and around the State Capitol go through all sorts of gyrations to try and avoid the obvious solution to our state’s fiscal woes. We’ve seen accusations that term limits are the problem. They aren’t. We’ve heard that the taxpayer protections in Proposition 13 are the problem. They aren’t. Now are told that Republican participant in the state budget because of the 2/3rds vote is the problem – and it isn’t.
Sadly, a review of GOP votes in state budget shows that, frankly, Republicans never hold out for a responsible budget. Invariably the budgets that are passed – stink. Rather famously in 2008, Senate Republicans held up the budget for weeks (I recall FR legislative bloggers updating our readers from the Senate floor, where they were in “lock down”) – and the result of that was hundreds of millions in savings, yet it was on a state budget of over $100 billion! And of course, look to just months later for a tragic example of how Republican votes being needed for a budget were not only unsuccessful at passing a good budget, we also saw a few GOPers cross party-lines to pass “bipartisan” massive tax increase, the largest in our state’s history.
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March 19th, 2010 at 12:00 am
How about this: let the Democrats be accountable for the budget by eliminating the 2/3 vote. That way not a single Republican will be on the hook for it.
March 19th, 2010 at 12:00 am
My idea of bi partisanship is waving “bye-bye” to the democrats as they are leaving Sacramento.
The problem with the legislature is not a part time or full time issue, it is simply the composition of the it. There are too many democrats. They could agree to meet just two days a year with no different results.
I am going to the Assembly to build a 41 seat majority and then on to a 54 seat super majority when we can finally govern with fiscal responsibility.
I would like to keep ten or so democrats around to make food fights in the 6th floor cafeteria more interesting. I see no other useful purpose for them.
March 19th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Republicans cannot even spell the word “budget”.
March 20th, 2010 at 12:00 am
You stay classy Robert Bosich.
I have to disagree with Jon. With the 2/3, the holdouts can produce some results but the overall budget remains a travesty. The main difference is that it has Republican votes, ensuring voter confusion as to who’s in charge, ensaring our own guys in bad votes, and generally keeping the world safe for voters to elect 51 Democrats to the Assembly.
Let’s be a true opposition party. This monstrosity is the Democrats’ government. Make them wear it.
March 20th, 2010 at 12:00 am
In pro football there are about 8 teams who are first rate, but the others, perennial lap dogs, make money….same with politics.
Republicans never get down in the hood, the barrio or the bowels of the glitzee office buildings to rub shoulders will real people, work on their challenges, uplift and motivate them to be the best they can ever be….they do not care about their children or they would OWN the education issue….
Republicans are on the verge of loosing the 2/3 vote by fiat or the ballot box leaving senior citizens,businesses and commercial property owners to face approximately 2.3 per cent of value property taxes once they get rid of Prop 13.
Of course, being an unclasseee alarmist, discount me…. but read “LORD JIM”…the hurting, needy and out of work little people are coming for you and coming real fast…