Posted on 01/20/2006 10:22:14 AM PST by NormsRevenge
What a difference a year makes. The budget Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled last week represents a radical departure from his proposal a year earlier.
Out: slights to the state's public employees and the shelving of transportation projects.
In: a warm embrace of the Democratic legislative agenda.
The governor's shift reflects a keen grasp of the obvious: Last year's political agenda was rejected in total by the voters in November's costly and combative special election. That the governor gets this is a good thing.
--snip--
The new "Kumbaya" spirit in Sacramento has led some to speculate that the governor's lurch back to the center has erased all distinction between Schwarzenegger Republicans and legislative Democrats. Unfortunately, that's not the case. ...
For example:
• Education: Funding to lift California from its near-cellar ranking in state aid to schools continues to be our top priority, ... His proposed increase for this year is simply a down payment on what our schools are owed.
• Prescription drugs: Democrats will send legislation to the governor's desk allowing Californians to join 11 other states (including several with Republican governors) to buy less expensive prescription drugs from Canada. ... We believe California shouldn't wait.
• Raising the minimum wage: Schwarzenegger, who has vetoed increases for the past two years, wants a modest increase with no guarantees for future increases as living expenses rise. Sadly, the governor is a day late and a dollar short. Democrats favor allowing the minimum wage to be adjusted with increases in the cost of living, ...
• Protecting seniors and the disabled: Despite soaring revenues and proposed increases for dozens of other programs, the governor's budget proposes to deny more than 2.4 million elderly and disabled Californians their cost-of-living increase. ... that's unconscionable in the richest state in the world's richest nation.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
had to snip the heck out of it.. Fabian has a new 'Girlie Man' toy or so he makes it sound.
No surprise there! No matter how much spending, or how many social programs are proposed by the Republicans, it will never be enough to satisfy them. All it does is give the enemy a higher handicap, or give them a few more yards before the game of tug-of-war even begins.
Instead of making massive new investments in untested programs, let's take care of the aged, blind and disabled. Or expand health coverage to every child in California, which can be done for half the price of Proposition 49.
Call and raise. Your bet, governor.
Nobody saw that coming ...
(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.")
(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.")
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