Posted on 03/17/2005 8:33:21 AM PST by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday backed a ballot initiative that would require fewer spending cuts than the reform measure he proposed during his State of the State speech in January - an apparent softening of his views on a key element of his reform agenda.
The "California Live Within Our Means Act," drafted by members of a business-backed political committee, would let the state budget increase in line with past revenue growth.
Though billed as a solution to California's chronic overspending, the measure's formulas, if enacted a decade ago, would have let lawmakers spend more than they actually spent in four of the last five years, according to state budget data.
In January, Schwarzenegger backed a proposal that would have limited state spending to available revenue and enabled the governor to make across- the-board cuts when the Legislature failed to adopt a balanced budget.
That measure would have prevented the state's current fiscal crisis by forcing lawmakers to raise taxes or cut spending to keep each year's budget in line with available revenue.
The proposal still exists as a bill in the Legislature. But by endorsing the ballot measure, Schwarzenegger is effectively abandoning his earlier idea, since Democratic lawmakers are unlikely to agree to more than what is in the initiative.
The change is the latest apparent shift in Schwarzenegger's evolving proposals for balancing the budget. During his campaign, Schwarzenegger promised to press for a strict spending cap. He ended up crafting and promoting Proposition 58, a measure that largely restated existing laws requiring balanced budgets.
Last summer, he abandoned nearly all of the major budget cuts he had proposed months earlier, and instead signed a budget that relied mostly on borrowing to close a spending gap.
Schwarzenegger's aides said the governor remains committed to fiscal reform.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
LMAO!!!
In other words, there is now absolutely no point at all to the ballot initiative.
So why even bother? Is Arnold hoping that California voters are so stupid that they'll believe that voting for this initiative actually accomplishes something and for that they'll "credit" Arnold for "doing something" and then proceed to reelect him?
Well, okay.... California.... Yeah, that'll probably work.
Last summer, he abandoned nearly all of the major budget cuts he had proposed months earlier, and instead signed a budget that relied mostly on borrowing to close a spending gap.
And he rolled again! John Campbell proposed a perfectly good spending cap initiative, and instead Arnold chooses this toothless piece of legislation. GRRRRRR!
Apparently we Californians ARE stupid. Who do you think keeps reelecting the legislators who got us into this mess in the first place?
Have you looked at the details of the Costa redistricting measure lately? It looks like Costa is ditching his original effort and introduced a new proposal in February. (It is the revised version that the Citizens to Save California are backing).
His original proposal required the plan be approved by voters. Now, it becomes effective when the Special Masters submit it to the Secretary of State. No voter approval, no legislature approval.
His new proposal also requires that the special masters be appointed within 20 days of the election. Sure doesn't give much time for vetting, review and selection.
Nobody said '$aving California' would be easy. ;-)
While in the Bay area last week, I heard many radio ads from the "Save California Coalition" (or some such thing) regarding the teachers pension and pay intiative. So it appears that the guv is coordinating a media campaign to get these intiatives passed. I wonder if it will be enough if the grass roots don't get fired up. Seams that continually weakening his position does little to fire up the base.
"Honest. He really is committed to... that," the embarrassed aides stammered.
Citizens to Save California - Who we are
Coalition Members:
Allan Zaremberg, President of the California Chamber of Commerce (Co-Chair)
Joel Fox, President of the Small Business Action Committee (Co-Chair)
Board Members:
Bill Hauck, President of the California Business Roundtable
Larry McCarthy, President of the California Taxpayers Association
Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
Rex Hime, President & CEO, California Business Properties Association
Janet Lamkin, President and CEO, California Bankers Association
Citizens to Save California - Reforms
Put Kids First Act (SA05RF0019)
Fair and Fiscally Responsible Retirement Act (SA05RF0007)
The Excellence in Teaching Act (SA05RF0028)
Redistricting Reform: The Voter Empowerment Act (SA04RF0037)
California Live Within Our Means Act (SA05RF0067)
Two-Thirds Vote Preservation Act of 2005 (SA05RF0068)
Guess I'll have to ping it to the top all day...
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
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