Posted on 06/08/2006 12:07:52 AM PDT by calcowgirl
California voters turned frugal Tuesday, turning down several state and local bonds and taxes -- and raising questions about prospects for $47 billion in state bonds proposed for the November ballot.
The failed statewide ballot measures would have used $600 million in bonds to build and refurbish public libraries, and raised income taxes on wealthy Californians by $2.4 billion annually for preschools.
Their demise could give pause to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrat legislative leaders as they contemplate how to convince Californians to support the richest series of bond measures in the state's history.
Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, a Democrat from Oakland, said the failure of the library ballot was a "sobering" warning not to assume that voters will embrace the massive infrastructure bond package negotiated by Schwarzenegger and the Legislature this spring.
(snip)
Speaker Fabian Nunez, a Democrat from Los Angeles who is pushing for the November bond package, said the bonds' failure is an indication of "initiative fatigue."
"Everybody needs to campaign for these bonds," or else the measures could lose, said Nunez, adding that he was referring to both Schwarzenegger and the governor's November rival, Democratic state Treasurer Phil Angelides.
"That's the only way we're going to get those bonds passed," he said.
Five propositions on the November ballot call for a combined $47 billion in bonds to be used to improve ports, roads, schools, levees and start building a high-speed train system. The governor and Legislature approved $37 billion of that sum earlier this year.
(snip)
... Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders have vowed to campaign for the November bonds. And those measures are sure to win heavy financial backing from public employee unions and the construction trades, along with business interests including builders.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
It wasn't long ago when California's deficit was larger than all of the other 49 states combined. Their credit was so shot that they couldn't get a loan from the mob. I don't know who's crazier, the damned Democrats or the "rich" that still live in California.
All I can say is stop spending our money.
Wow - kind of puts all those illegals in Cali in a different light...
Sacramento opts for profligacy.
Sacramento will win.
California, please stop taxing your citizens to death. They're threatening to move to Texas.
It's way beyond threats. I think only CA and MA are states that have lost population over the past two years. Movers & shakers out, illegals in. So long suckers!
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