CA: Budget impasse down to $2 billion

Mercury News ^ | 7/4/03 | Ann E. Marimow

[NormsRevenge]

SACRAMENTO - The stalemate over how to fix California's massive $38.2 billion budget shortfall appears to come down to a dispute over what to do about less than $2 billion.

Republicans and Democrats -- at least in the Senate -- have reached agreement on cuts and borrowing that will plug most of the deficit.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Senate President Pro Tem John Burton of San Francisco, Republican Leader Jim Brulte of Rancho Cucamonga and Davis administration officials have informally discussed a complicated sales tax sleight-of-hand to bring Republicans on board for a crucial part of the plan: how to pay back $10.7 billion in borrowing.

Anyone in Brulte's district call his office and tell them NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO.

[McGavin999]

There is a great solution to this. Put everything on the ballot and let the people vote which things they want to keep. The votes should be counted up and those voting to keep something have to agree to pay for it and those who vote against it won't have of dime of their taxes go to the initiative. That way, the democrats who want tax increases can have increases (on themselves only) and those who don't won't have to pay for the excesses of the liberals.

[ErnBatavia]

Those SOB's in Sacramento bloated their bureacracies in the fat times, and now they're ready to "shove it in and break it off" in the taxpayer now that their income has shrunk.

Look elsewhere, por favor!

[Dog Gone]

I have a money-saving idea.

Close UCLA and Berkeley, torch the campuses and spread salt on the soil.

[marajade]

That would be a disaster is CA... The voting public would vote for everything...

[SteveH]

Outside the Capitol on Thursday, a broad coalition announced it had begun collecting signatures for a ballot initiative that would overhaul California's budget process.

NEA + California prison guards union = "broad coalition"

(Recall Gov. Davis is carried forward by "fringe" leaders.)

Starting a new fiscal year without a state budget is not unusual; it has been late 17 times in the last 26 years. But California's two-thirds vote requirement for legislative passage is rare. Only two other states -- Rhode Island and Arkansas -- have as high a hurdle.

California is one of a distinct minority of states that bans so-called "assault weapons" and practices (discriminatory) discretionary-issue concealed carry. But that kind of comparison never appears in the Mercury News.

The Mercury News is consistent in its outlook: if some government is good, then more government is better. Logic and consistency are secondary.

[Torie]

as many as 100,000 children would have to wait another year to begin kindergarten.

Is that the best the Pubbies could do? I can't support that.

[Torie]

The University of Texas can't take the competition eh? It must be annoying to folks down there in Austin that U of T is still viewed as down the food chain from Berkeley, despite its near unlimited financial resources.

[upcountryhorseman]

You could start by getting rid of those state
agencies that duplicate the functions of federal
agencies such as environmental protection.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

calgov2002:

calgov2002: for old calgov2002 articles. 

calgov2002: for new calgov2002 articles. 

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[freekitty]

Keep cutting.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Is that the best the Pubbies could do? I can't support that.

So what would you support?

[101viking]

"Is that the best the Pubbies could do? I can't support that"

I wonder what percentage of those entering kindergarten are here illegally or are the children of illegals?

[Torie]

Privatize the state prisons (guards there now make more than teachers due to a Davis political bribe), slash edubiz bureaucracy (less than 50 cents of every educational dollar spent hits the classroom), means test tuition at all California public institutions of higher learning, repeal Davis Bacon that massively increases state construction costs, repeal limitations on class size that have little to do with educational performance, introduce merit pay, and fire drone teachers, and end all public employee defined benefit pensions, and put them all onto a 401k basis. What would you do?

[Torie]

Beside the point. In any event, every kid has a right to educated whereever they live. Period.

[SierraWasp]

You said: "Close UCLA and Berkeley, torch the campuses and spread salt on the soil."

She said: "...my people are terrified." (in the artickle)

Now you don't sound like wunna dubya's "cumpashunate cunsurvatators!" (grin)

[SierraWasp]

Is that what's happening where they came from? ...NOT!!!

[101viking]

"Beside the point. In any event, every kid has a right to educated whereever they live. Period"

Beside the point? So in addition to paying increased taxes for social programs that support illegals, as well as for an ineffective, hamstrung, immigration enforcemnet program, it is up to the taxpayers of California to educate those who are here illegally. Why do we even have laws? What kind of society can be built around "selective" politically motivated law enforcement practices? Why is it that as a natural born citizen of the U.S. am I bound to obey the law or suffer the consequences, however if I have come here illegally I am an exception, and am entitled to the benefits that are afforded the citizenry?...Please tell me, why this has no point? Would California be in the budget crisis it is in without giving benefits to illegals? Would coming here be as enticing if those benefits were not extended?

[Carry_Okie]

Some of what you suggested is illegal. For example: class size reduction was mandated by ballot initiative. Then there's firing "drone teachers." You know as well as I do that such firings are contractually bound to come in the form of layoffs by seniority.