Posted on 02/18/2009 7:00:04 AM PST by reaganaut1
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- A delicate budget fix crafted by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders was on the brink of collapse early Wednesday after Republicans in the Senate ousted their leader. The late-night coup could derail already strained budget talks by requiring them to renegotiate with a new Republican leader.
The current package containing billions in tax hikes, spending cuts and borrowing took leaders more than three months to put together as the state tries to pass a midyear budget fix and avoid fiscal calamity.
Lawmakers viewed the leadership change as a major setback after they fell short by just one GOP vote, but Democratic leader Darrell Steinberg said he didn't want to speculate what it would mean for the package.
''We're after one reasonable person who puts California first,'' Steinberg said as Republicans voted to remove Sen. Dave Cogdill.
Republicans replaced Cogdill with Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Murietta, whom they saw as more capable of resisting tax increases.
''I don't want to see a tax increase passed,'' Hollingsworth said Wednesday shortly after assuming the leadership post. ''I think the majority of my caucus doesn't want to see a tax increase passed in the package. We'll see what happens in the next few hours, next few days.''
The pressure on California lawmakers to pass a spending package intensified, as layoff notices went out Tuesday to state agencies, hundreds of public works projects were on the brink of losing state funding and the Legislature appeared unable to break a political logjam.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Stand tough, GOP ... more of the same old tax and spend is beyond crazy.
I get the feeling that a short translation of this article would be: “California in huge economic mess and its all the fault of Republicans.”
Huge Hewett, on our local 870 radio has pretty much been a lapdog to the mushy middle of Republican politics and yesterday he made the comment that Arnold completely folded on this budget issue and failed every working California.
I was shocked - but he got it right. Our governor has completely given up doing the right thing.
My comment on our governor I have stated for years:
He played Conan the Barbarian, he thinks he is Richard the Lionheart but in the end, he is simply an actor, the court jester, he will be remembered as Arnold the Fool.
Maybe its just time to start calling him “Governor Girly Man.”
I’m no great fan of Arnold, but with the mess he has to work with in Sacramento, I’m not sure anyone could improve things very much. The only route Arnold could have taken was to go independent of the legislature and make repeated public statements and speeches, presenting the truth. He chose not to do so, and therefore, he gave himself no chance to succeed for the state.
I hope the GOP does not give in to the tax and spend attitude that prevails in CA. How can a thinking person support unlimited tax increases? Perhaps they are the people living on the dole and have never worked an honest day in their life?
The ‘mess’ he has to work with, he created himself. Remember how he ‘streamlined’ the government, he ‘blew up the boxes’?
He did this himself.
Time for another recall.
I guess that means everybody will have to take care of themselves for awhile? Maybe even do some of those jobs that Americans won't do anymore?
Callyfornia needs to file Chapter 9 bankruptcy, break public employee union contracts, recall every democrat legislator, cut spending to 2004 levels, halt all assistance to illegals, and balance the budget.
I’m in modesto and the two times in the past I called cogsdale office I didn’t like the answers I got. He had a real sleazy campaign a few years ago.
Who will blink first?
I’m actually surprised the Republicans have held this far.
They r also about to let out 80K prisoners on to the streets as they can not afford to keep them...... about 30K of those r illegals..... and the nation goes as Kalifornia goes.... yikes.
You noted some of what he did wrong. Blaming republicans over the past few years for every problem, flip-flopping on every issue - he is the mess due to no leadership.
He cannot use the bully pulpit to make a stand when he waffles so much.
I surprized the pubs are holding up too. Let’s hope it lasts.
No one can spend billions each year on illegals and hope to have a balanced budget. Add in the union culture and extreme leftist tilt and bang! Will the People’s republic actually default on welfare payments to those hard working Mexicans, doing the jobs Americans don’t want to do? Will there be no more money for sex change operations for prisoners? Oh how I hope we’ll need a ton of popcorn for this one!
BTW, excellent daily coverage on the budget via their radio show at 3pm pacific.
California cannot declare bankruptcy.
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