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Governor's budget plan would divert gas taxes to help close gap ($17.2-billion budget shortfall)
LA Times ^ | 5/14/08 | Jordan Rau

Posted on 05/14/2008 5:46:17 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

SACRAMENTO -- More than $828 million in gas tax money that is supposed to go to public transportation projects would be diverted to help bail the state out of its financial problems ...

--snip--

His revised budget would:

* Restrict full in-home supportive services for seniors and people with disabilities, and cut the pay of the service workers to the minimum wage. Only the most severely impaired would get aides for household tasks, although in-home medical assistance would continue.

* Eliminate California's $111-million program of healthcare for legal immigrants, and pare back the healthcare provided to impoverished people who have been in the country for five years or fewer. That would save $87 million.

* Eliminate cost-of-living increases for disabled people in the supplemental security income program, part of the Social Security system, with the state keeping $109 million the federal government is providing to California.

* Cut welfare grants under the Cal-Works program by 5% instead of providing a cost-of-living increase, saving $187 million.

The gas taxes Schwarzenegger wants to keep are a product of the higher oil prices Californians have been paying at the pump. The money is intended to improve public transportation, but the state in the past has rerouted the funds for such things as bond payments and school transportation for students.

In his new budget plan, which would need approval from the Legislature to be enacted, Schwarzenegger would ask voters for approval to borrow $15 billion over three years against future profits from the state lottery.

The governor wants lawmakers to agree that if the electorate were to reject that idea in November, the state's sales tax would automatically rise by 1 percentage point. The sales tax could remain in effect for as long as three years unless the state's financial balance was restored.

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: budgetplan; california; divert; gastaxes; schwarzenegger
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DING!!! DING!!! DING!!!

The bell rings and the boxers come out of their corners , nostrils flare, muscles throb, ahhhh, It's Showtime!!!

1 posted on 05/14/2008 5:52:11 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
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To: NormsRevenge

Geeez... I thought sure it was NY! ($0.62 per gallon and counting)


2 posted on 05/14/2008 5:54:50 PM PDT by xcamel (Forget the past and you're doomed to repeat it.)
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Governor’s revised budget
http://www.ebudget.ca.gov/


3 posted on 05/14/2008 5:56:59 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed ... ICE toll-free tip hotline—1-866-DHS-2-ICE ... 9/11 .. Never FoRget!!!)
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To: NormsRevenge

Something’s wrong here. When Arnold S. took over, we voters approved a $15 billion one time only bond, which covered the accum. deficit at that time, which was early 2004, I believe? And they said at the time it was going to sweep away the old debt and never be done again. Now, he wants to promote a similar big bond issue to balance the budget? And if the lottery proceeds which are to support the bonds are less than expected, who pays that difference?


4 posted on 05/14/2008 6:03:23 PM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: NormsRevenge

“public transportation projects”

No, according to the law, gas taxes are suppose to go to the roads and only the roads.


5 posted on 05/14/2008 6:05:07 PM PDT by edcoil
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To: NormsRevenge
I love the "illegal" biofuels threads where we get lectured that it's OK that various states are fining the crap out of people for using waste french fry oil for auto fuel - because EVERYBODY has got to pay for the roads, and BY GUM, french friers are EVADING!

Well, that "fuel tax is for the roads" thingee - maybe not so much...

**grin**

6 posted on 05/14/2008 6:18:38 PM PDT by an amused spectator (Spitzer would have used the Mann Act against an enemy in a New York minute.)
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To: NormsRevenge

>In his new budget plan, which would need approval from the Legislature to be enacted, Schwarzenegger would ask voters for approval to borrow $15 billion over three years against future profits from the state lottery.

IOW, its illegal to steal money from this tax fund to pay for unrelated shortfalls.

>The governor wants lawmakers to agree that if the electorate were to reject that idea in November, the state’s sales tax would automatically rise by 1 percentage point.

This blackmail would be more legal with a gun, folks.

>The sales tax could remain in effect for as long as three years unless the state’s financial balance was restored

Why not 50 years?


7 posted on 05/14/2008 6:29:48 PM PDT by bill1952 (I will vote for McCain if he resigns his Senate seat before this election.)
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To: NormsRevenge

they already use the gas tax for the welfare recipients


8 posted on 05/14/2008 6:34:03 PM PDT by television is just wrong
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To: edcoil
No, according to the law, gas taxes are suppose to go to the roads and only the roads.

The politicians are constantly stealing gas taxes for anything but the roads. Those potholes and bumper-to-bumper traffic jams are the price you pay for having "light rail" that is lightly used by a tiny segment of the population that can use it effectively. Everyone else pays big taxes on gas and sits in traffic. Now you get to pay for crappy teachers too. The socialist toilet is sucking up lots of cash.

Remember when the lottery was introduced as a way to bring more funding to the schools? The politicians took the lottery money for the schools and immediately cut an equal amount from school funding from the general fund. That gave them money to do other social engineering. Arnie just announced a "plan" to float another bond for schools to be repaid with FUTURE lottery revenues. What a bunch of clowns.

9 posted on 05/14/2008 6:35:00 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: NormsRevenge
In other words, if the voters refuse to put more debt on the state's credit card, their income will still be forcibly confiscated from them - for their own good, of course.

"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

10 posted on 05/14/2008 6:36:59 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: bill1952
This blackmail would be more legal with a gun, folks.

Those new ammo licenses and 50 round per month limits will keep those bitter, gun totin' citizens from being a significant threat to the political elite.

11 posted on 05/14/2008 6:37:35 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: edcoil
Missouri had the same law but over the decades, 2 out of every five dollars were siphoned off for some payroll issues in Jeff City. Last year, Missouri voters overwhelmingly approved a voter initiative saying 100 percent of fuel taxes should go to roads.
12 posted on 05/14/2008 6:41:46 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: Myrddin

50 rounds a month?
I can go through that in minutes at the range.


13 posted on 05/14/2008 6:43:39 PM PDT by bill1952 (I will vote for McCain if he resigns his Senate seat before this election.)
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To: bill1952

We’re still paying 1/4 percent sales tax for the San Francisco earthquake. It was supposed to last only to the end of that year.
What was that 15 or so years ago?


14 posted on 05/14/2008 6:48:19 PM PDT by smoketree (the insanity, the lunacy these days)
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To: bill1952
I can go through that in minutes at the range.

The anti-gun leftist legislators in Sacramento are quite aware of that. You'll burn down your ammo supply and suddenly discover that you can't buy anymore without applying for the license. You'll pay a fee and wait 30 days to get it. Once you have it, you can buy ONE 50 rd box.

15 posted on 05/14/2008 6:51:42 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: NormsRevenge

Over $12 billion in services to people here illegally and no cut in services. Open up that Golden Gate............


16 posted on 05/14/2008 6:53:27 PM PDT by purpleraine
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To: NormsRevenge
Fire most of the new state hires in the last 4 years (emergency services excluded.
Allow no more than 2% growth in the state budget for 5 years.
That would do more than enough.

Get laws changed to allow only legal people in public schools and the country would probably save 50 billion a year at a minimum.

17 posted on 05/14/2008 7:07:02 PM PDT by A CA Guy ( God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: Myrddin

“What a bunch of clowns.”

They are voted in by somebody - who is worse.


18 posted on 05/14/2008 7:22:37 PM PDT by edcoil
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To: NormsRevenge

Damn! I thought Texas had a spending problem. We’ve got a 10-15 $billion surplus!


19 posted on 05/14/2008 7:39:05 PM PDT by BnBlFlag (Deo Vindice/Semper Fidelis "Ya gotta saddle up your boys; Ya gotta draw a hard line")
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To: edcoil
They are voted in by somebody - who is worse.

Good point. I realized that I was outnumbered by people who vote for clowns, so I moved to Idaho.

20 posted on 05/14/2008 8:20:42 PM PDT by Myrddin
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