California: Why voters don't believe state's in a crisis

Sacramento Bee ^ | Feb 22, 2004 | Mark Paul

[John Jorsett]

I opened to the front page of the paper Thursday morning to find the lead headline delivering another tale of California doom: "Growing budget gap seen," it declared.

Reading the story, I learned that, even after Governor Schwarzenegger closes the college door on thousands of students and caps access to health care for the children of working families, California will still have an ongoing budget gap of $7 billion, according to Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill.

[drypowder]

For additional info on the California State lawmakers wasting tax $ I suggest one read the 2003 California Piglet Book by the "Citizens Against Gov Waste and The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Foundation." It seems that everyone in the state is now or soon will be suffering financially except our illustrious lawmakers and their cronies.

[marsh2]

Much of the problem is the Initiative process. For instance, the voters pass a bond for recreation, then they dedicate a large percentage of taxes for schools. The remaining General Fund to pay for core services is diminshed by the school initiative. So the public perceives building an arena when core services are being cut to be skewing priorities. It is the voter who set up the dedicated money pot system, not the legislature.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I'm sorry but I feel that THIS legislature would do much worse than the voters have done!

[pacpam]

Most of the money initiatives in propositions are presented by the legislature. It is a way to spend money without the public seeing the whole picture and seeing the amount of the bill in total. Bonds seem so innocent.
I can't get over how fiscally irresponsible our current city and county bodies are - they know there is a need to tighten the purse strings and yet they refuse.

[river rat]

No new Debt

No new Taxes

Show me the CUTS FIRST..

Cut until it HURTS

the bureaucrats,state employees and illegals.

Then, we'll talk.

Semper Fi

[tertiary01]

I beg to differ with the article, but anyone who has worked for the bureaucracy knows it WASTES far more than the taxpayers could ever imagine.

[Bullish]

A California education is so steeped in leftist idealism that it's pretty much worthless anyway.

The real world doesn't work at all the way liberals think it does. That's why they're always effing' everything up. Their stupid ideas are just that. Stupid!

California's a prime example of leftist waste, corruption and mismanagement.

[Lizavetta]

*yawn*

Yet another article about California's budget woes with nary a word about the billions spent on non-citizens using the schools, hospitals, welfare, etc.

[wideminded]

How bad can things be, they have to wonder, if a new governor's first act was to cut taxes by $4 billion a year?

"but I had to win. That's the thing you don't understand. The important thing is to win." - Richard Nixon

"Hasta la vista to the car tax." - Arnold Schwarzenegger

[calcowgirl]

I'm sorry but I feel that THIS legislature would do much worse than the voters have done!

It seems to be a lose-lose situation. I would like to see the legislature handle the majority of these items though.... with FULL public disclosure. Hold their feet to the fire and expose the nonsense.