Is there any statewide group out there that represents cities besides the California League of Cities — I would like to know? I just got a press release on League letterhead that some local elected officials are protested the raid on local government dollars in this budget deal.

Where were they during the last budget deal, which “raided” the pockets of taxpayers (their constituents) with billions in higher income, sales and car taxes?

While I appreciate the policy reasons for why the raid on local government funds is a bad idea, I am having real troubles building up sympathy for politicians that protest this under the banner of the pro-tax increase League of Cities.

The League needs some new political leadership — that will push for smaller state government — not look out for its narrow interest by supporting tax increases on city residents.… Read More

It appears that the back-room negotiated budget deal has hit a snag. Apparently in the area of cuts to the Department of Corrections, the Big 5 agreed in concept to an overall amount of cuts, but not in any degree of specificity to the exact cuts. As we all know, there has been a wide disagreement between the left and the right about how to make cuts (or whether to make cuts) to this part of the budget — Dems favoring reducing the prison population, some Republicans calling for other cuts in the Agency that don't impact prisoner population.

Apparently the thought was the the “epic debate” over this issue would be sorted out sometime after the rest of the deal was adopted.

From what I understand, word started to spread around the Capitol that Democrats were planning to, in fact, not leave these cuts “to be named later” and put up the cuts for a vote that would lead to over 30k inmates being released from prison earlier than the end of their sentences.

The bad news is that this puts a serious pause in the budget negotiations — but the good news is that the marketplace has rooted out a flaw in the plan. It… Read More

There apparently is a budget deal. Lots of cuts, lots of borrowing, lots of gimmicks. But from the briefings I have had so far, the cuts are substantial, with mega-billions that are permanent. I am told that the final deal will be in print and available for public perusal for at least 24 hours… Vote Thursday… Check out Capitol Weekly's website for more details.… Read More

This morning the “Big 5” will gather to put the finishing touches on a budget deal – so we’re told. Of course, from all accounts, the deal that has been put together is a mixed bag. First and foremost, the fact that there are no tax increases on the table demonstrates how budget negotiations can go differently when Governor Schwarzenegger stands tall for taxpayers, as he pledged to do in both of his elections – and it is also a significant feather in the cap of Republican Leaders Dennis Hollingsworth and Sam Blakeslee, both of whom took on the leadership of their respective legislative caucuses after their predecessors rather notoriously used their positions to become architects of over $16 billion in higher income, sales and car taxes – “in return” for faux reforms and selective tax breaks for major corporations.

So while the wallets of taxpayers appear to have been protected from direct assault by state government this go-around, there are some aspects of this budget deal that are extremely troubling – and frankly show that liberal Democrats Darrell Steinberg and Karen Bass worked very hard to maintain what we believe are unsustainable levels of… Read More

This morning the “Big 5” will gather to put the finishing touches on a budget deal – so we’re told. Of course, from all accounts, the deal that has been put together is a mixed bag. First and foremost, the fact that there are no tax increases on the table demonstrates how budget negotiations can go differently when Governor Schwarzenegger stands tall for taxpayers, as he pledged to do in both of his elections – and it is also a significant feather in the cap of Republican Leaders Dennis Hollingsworth and Sam Blakeslee, both of whom took on the leadership of their respective legislative caucuses after their predecessors rather notoriously used their positions to become architects of over $16 billion in higher income, sales and car taxes – “in return” for faux reforms and selective tax breaks for major corporations.

So while the wallets of taxpayers appear to have been protected from direct assault by state government this go-around, there are some aspects of this budget deal that are extremely troubling – and frankly show that liberal Democrats Darrell Steinberg and Karen Bass worked very hard to maintain what we believe are unsustainable levels of… Read More

Quote of the Week: “It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American descent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed……….. The final collapse has come with the election of Barack Obama. His speed in the past three months has been truly impressive. His spending and money printing has been record setting, not just in America’s short history but in the world. If this keeps up for more than another year, and there is no sign that it will not, America at best will resemble the Weimar Republic and at worst Zimbabwe.” – Editorial by Pravda (Russia’s largest newspaper) April 27, 2009

Socialized Medicine: If there was any doubt that the House Democrat Health Care plan would be anything but full-blown, single payer, socialized medicine it has now been cast aside with the release of the 1,017 page bill this week. The bill has already passed two of the three committees to which it has been referred to in the House. Not a single Republican voted for it in either committee, so any pretext of bipartisanship should also be cast aside. The bill will be… Read More

While Speaker Bass may be upbeat about a tentative Big 5 budget deal today, sanity still says that a long-term solution — over the next few years if not part of this budget — must include addressing the inherent inefficiencies in a bureaucracy gone mad. You know, what the Governor once called blowing up boxes.

As an example, FR friend Janelle Riella contacts us with this story…

My family is in the trucking business. When we receive renewal notices from the DMV, they are usually sent back to the DMV in bundles with one check for all of the vehicles. Just today, my mother received a note from the DMV that is was TOO EARLY to be paying the registration (the due date is September 2009), so they will be sending her a check back in the mail. The DMV sent her the renewal notice in the first place!! Now, they are going to reimburse her (which on average is $25 plusto get a check cut in the private sector) and she will have to turn around and pay the bill in August? They can’t just send her the new tags?

What is wrong with this state???? OK, for those thinkingthat… Read More

Everyone who lives in a city or a county who drives or rides in a car (that’s about everyone) should be concerned about this. As I have previously reported, a proposal by certain representatives of the Administration has potentially misled legislators into believing it’s o.k. to vote to take the local share of the Highway Users Tax Account (HUTA) and Prop. 42 gas tax funds from cities and counties. The justification statement goes something like this: "Counties/Cities will be receiving American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA-federal stimulus) funds anyways — which should be more than what we will be taking from Counties". This claim is misleading, to put it mildly. Take the case of San Bernardino County alone, which stands to lose (just for its unincorporated areas), 61% of what it costs to operate and maintain2,775 miles of roads. Thatis $47 million (HUTA take) and $7 million (Prop. 42 six-month deferral). The same unincorporated areas will receive only $5.8 million in ARRA federal stimulus funds. This means they’re planning to take ten times… Read More