State Senate approves new budget -- Two GOP holdouts change votes

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 8/21/7 | Tom Chorneau and Matthew Yi

[SmithL]

Sacramento -- After weeks of wrangling and partisan bickering, two of 14 holdout Republican senators agreed today to support a $145 billion spending plan, giving it the bare minimum number of votes for passage.

The budget bill passed the Senate on a vote of 27 to 12, ending one of the longest budget stalemates in recent state history.

The state Assembly already approved the budget on July 20, but follow up legislation will probably be considered today in the state's lower house to match actions in the Senate.

Today's Senate vote essentially ends a 52-day delay in adopting a state budget, well short of the record set in 2002 when the budget was not signed into law until Sept. 5.

The plan sets aside a record reserve of $3.4 billion, pays off $2.5 billion of the state's bond debt early while providing sufficient funds for almost all state services.

Republicans said they won spending cuts that reduce the state's operating deficit this year to zero as well as protections for local governments from lawsuits over global warming concerns.

[Reagan Man]

State Senator Tom McClintock said the following today:

"I am afraid that with this vote, for the second time in a decade, this state is being driven to another Gray Davis-sized fiscal crisis that this vote makes inevitable for exactly the same reasons: Lack of restraint in good times combined with a lack of discipline in bad times.

[RC2]

Now the State Attorney Generals office should slap a hefty fine on each one of them for going on vacation before the budget was passed. They broke the law by doing so. The State Constitution states that they cannot go on vacation until a budget for the state has been passed. They expect us to abide by the State Constitution, but they won’t do it. They won’t even enforce our own border laws.

[keat]

"I am afraid that with this vote...

So true.

The article only list one folder (Ackerman) who was the other?

[keat]

Maldonado

[Erik Latranyi]

Just a word of advice.....add the state into the headline (in parenthesis) so we know which of the 50 this story is about!

[oneamericanvoice]

The California Attorney General (Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown) is violating the law by being in the office. He is not qualified by law to hold the position.

[Incorrigible]

[SmithL]

I do that from time-to-time, but since the source was the San Francisco Chronicle, and the very first of the article was Sacramento, I just assumed everyone could figure it out.
Silly me.
; )

[oneamericanvoice]

Senator McClintock is right once again. Now we know who to get rid of when they come up for re-election.

[Amalie]

They had a chance; they could have made a difference. Two spineless morons flipped, and now all that they will get is blamed for the delay, the accrued interest, and the trouble.

[MSF BU]

How is he not qualified? Just curious.

[Krodg]

Republicans said they won spending cuts that reduce the state's operating deficit this year to zero as well as protections for local governments from lawsuits over global warming concerns.

Is this important to you?

[oneamericanvoice]

State law requires that a candidate must have been a member in good standing with the Bar for five years. Jerry had only three since he didn’t keep up his membership. The next qualification was the ablility to present a case before the Supreme Court. Jerry was not.

There was a law suit. However, once Jerry was sworn in, the Appeals Court (being friendly to Jerry) threw the lawsuit out, rather than uphold the law.

[SmithL]

Attorney General Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown has already started suing local governments to enforce greenhouse gas laws that haven’t even been enacted yet.

[MSF BU]

Interesting; much like the State Auditor in Massachusetts who probably couldn’t operate Quicken at a baseline level nevermind pass a CPA exam.

[Carry_Okie]

Ackerman, wouldn't you know.

What a gutless weasel.

[oneamericanvoice]

You got it. Too bad the folks in Mass. are saddled with someone who is inept. Jerry isn’t inept. He’s just very good at being a Liberal politician. Don’t you think it is ironic that the person who is sworn to uphold the law has so little regard for the law? It’s our everyday comedy routine.

[goldstategop]

The budget is balanced in name only. It could take one recession or unexpected financial commitments to wipe out the state's paper-thin reserve. This budget is built on borrowed money and Enron accounting gimmicks. I would not characterize it as a prudent budget... which lacks real spending cuts and changes in the way Sacramento spends money. The day of fiscal reckoning has merely been punted down the road.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[goldstategop]

If the Democrats couldn't bring themselves to agree to $700 million worth of spending cuts, what makes any one think they will agree to $5 billion worth of spending cuts at a later date? Make no mistake: postponing cuts now will only make them much more painful later on.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus