Posted on 03/06/2006 9:27:42 AM PST by NormsRevenge
The Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have until March 10 to agree on any bond proposals for voters to consider on the June ballot.
There is no shortage of bond proposals, from prison construction to coastal preservation. There is a shortage of time, however. And there is a shortage of political ability - among both the Democrats who lead the Legislature and the Republican governor - ...
The only chance of success lies in narrowing the playing field. In the time remaining, the governor and lawmakers must focus on the one or two issues that seem doable. One is flood control. The other is education.
Chances are very high that the state could easily and wisely spend $2 billion or even more on flood control, based on established needs. The state needs matching funds for federal projects that are already authorized, particularly throughout the Sacramento region. ...
Democrats in the Legislature are second-guessing why Schwarzenegger in recent days has switched his financial strategy on flood control, abandoned expectations of huge federal support and proposed that the state front $6 billion in flood control funds. ...
Flood control talks could accelerate if the Legislature and governor abandon the idea of coupling this flood control bond with a broader package of water projects.
There is no consensus on which new reservoirs to underwrite, for example, or how to evolve to a pay-as-you-go state funding strategy through a new water fee.
There is even a growing question as to why the state needs to use its precious bonding capacity to subsidize regional water projects ... The greed is apparent, but the need for a June bond is not.
The same goes for transportation. Schwarzenegger's original proposal had too much roadway expansion and not enough transit.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Skools like that should be private and paid for only by people who believe that Communist/Fascist/Islamist.
Opposing Any Further Increase In State Or County Indebtedness, Etc.
That we, the members of the California State Grange, do express our opinion as being opposed to any further increase in our state or county bonded indebtedness, rate of taxation or total tax levy, whether direct or indirect, until such a time as our population shall have increased within the state to such an extent as will make our funded debt and our taxes to be raised per capita more nearly in proportion to a sane figure based upon the earning power of all individual citizens.
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