CA: Differences emerge over governor's public works spending plan

ap on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 2/16/06 | Steve Lawrence - ap

[forester]

Then they have to make part of the law that the assignments would be fast tracked and not subject to environmental law. These are roads, they are not drilling for oil.

Good luck with that. The dems are already in full demogogue mode on that issue. Who do you think will cave in?

[goldstategop]

They're never going to spend $222 billion on infrastructure. There'd be no money for the Democrats' dependent constituency. So the odds are long this will see the light of day. You're asking the Democrats to hang themselves with their own rope. If they have to choose between social spending and new freeways and new dams and levees, its no contest.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[goldstategop]

You left out the best part. How to pay for it. Do we put it on a credit card or do we dig into our wallets and cough up the cash for all these new wonderful improvements? They talk about spending $222 billion and they haven't figured out how to finance it. I just love the way they do math up in Sacramento!

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[A CA Guy]

Then a few conservatives should squawk about how they are wasting the taxpayers money.

[calcowgirl]

No to 222.6 billon going to Sac. Pay as we go.

I hear ya, jocko. If they want bonds, they can offer them in (much) smaller packages and spell out exactly how they intend to spend them. With "surging" revenues, they have plenty of money to invest in Infrastructure instead of paying for more welfare in its various forms.

[goldstategop]

The funny thing is the same dunderheads in Sacramento who talk about fixing our neglected public infrastructure are the same people who can't fix a government that's incapable of addressing the problems of the day - beginning with a budget that's never balanced despite the fact the law requires balanced budgets!

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[calcowgirl]

If given a choice to between Stalin, Lenin, and Mao, I would consider it no choice at all and fight.
Some would be happy promoting one of the three.

PS: Do you have those locomotives ready? (I'm still laughing!)

[goldstategop]

I suspect we will get more welfare. We can do without more freeways, despite population growth and gridlocked traffic. And don't forget levees in danger of breaking down in a catastrophic storm. After all Katrina can't happen here.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[forester]

Remember this McClintock quote on the bond issue:

But, of course, we are now powerless to do so, because the leadership of the Senate has agreed to bypass the constitutional process of the legislature and instead draft this measure by six members in a conference committee. So the proceedings today are so much hot air. We cannot amend this measure in any way. In a decision that will rank as the most shameful in the history of the California Senate, the leadership has abandoned the legislature’s role – and especially the Senate’s role – as the central decision-making organ in the state government. The careful deliberation and amendment of public policy is now a thing of the past.

[goldstategop]

The choice is Angelides, Westly and Schwarzenegger. Which is the liberal least likely to do you damage? That's a tough choice! ;-)

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[goldstategop]

Who knows - if they can get past the ideological wrangling, they may just split the difference. That's what I adore about partisanship -- it keeps the very worst ideas from seeing the light of day. It was bipartisanship that bought us the half-cooked deregulation scheme that saw energy costs skyrocket five years ago.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[forester]

Then a few conservatives should squawk about how they are wasting the taxpayers money.

A few squawking individuals is proven to be ineffective: it simply does not work. The Bee, Mercury News, the S.F. Koranicle will not print well written letters from conservatives. The news channels will not cover conservative concerns. If this issue is to be won, it must be endorsed by the CAGOP leadership as a non-negotiable plank. Fundemental conservative principles should not become bargaining chips in closed door policy meetings.

[A CA Guy]

A road is a thing, and there can be a consensus as to how a fix a thing.
A politician is a bag of bones with variable ethics, and there can be a wide range of values that effect the vote and behavior of each politician.

A dog can't smell their own poo, so they don't ever think their view or government has a real problem.
They are little gods.

[A CA Guy]

The squeeky wheel gets oiled.

[forester]

I think that the continued concentration of decision making into fewer and fewer individuals is not good gov't. At least gridlock prevents things from getting worse....

[calcowgirl]

The only saving grace is that most of these bills will have to be put on the ballot.
Of course, voters have helped passed lots of stupid bond measures in the past, including prop 57/58.

[calcowgirl]

If a deal comes out of this by March 10th, I will be amazed.

Me too. But you never know. Now that they've decided to circumvent established legislative procedure and turn it into a back-room-deal, anything could happen.

[Amerigomag]

Do you have those locomotives ready?

From my perspective a contest between Angelides and Schwarzenegger would truly be classified as California's Great Train Wreck with taxpayer dollars being scattered into the troposhere and the nuclear winter that would result from the collision would cripple California for generations.

[calcowgirl]

Well, since we don't have a GOP primary, we could all switch parties to vote against Angelides.

Any which way I look, there is a wreck on the horizon.

[forester]

Good point, hopefully these measures will be opposed by tax payer groups with witty TV ads. Donating to them may be the best use of my limited $$