Posted on 02/18/2009 10:54:35 AM PST by Fred
California remained locked in a budget impasse today despite a night-long negotiating session aimed at resolving the state's $42bn (£29.5bn) budget deficit.
California senate Republicans, in defiance of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, continued to hold out against the compromise deal, which would see the deficit addressed with a combination of spending cuts, borrowing and tax increases.
Early this morning the state's Republican senators ousted their leader, who had supported the compromise, replacing him with a more conservative senator who has pledged to resist any attempt to raise taxes.
California's peculiar legislative system dictates that the package must win a two-thirds majority to pass, meaning that Democrats need the support of three Republicans to reach the necessary 27 votes. Two Republicans, including ousted leader Dave Codgill, support the measure, leaving the vote one short of the required majority.
The majority Democratic leadership of the state senate has piled pressure on the Republicans to support the measure. Last night's all-night session was presaged by a threat from the Democrats that lawmakers should bring a toothbrush, and that nobody would be allowed to leave until a vote had been passed.
But Democrats have also sought compromise, granting many measures to pacify the Republicans. Outgoing Republican leader Codgill said that he felt the concessions won from the Democrats were as good as it would get. But many of his colleagues, including new leader Dennis Hollingsworth, have pledged not to raise taxes under any circumstances.
"I don't want to see a tax increase passed," Hollingsworth told the Associated Press. "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 bipartisan package, negotiated by Schwarzenegger
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Who is the girly-man, now?
"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
Who is the girly-man, now?
Oops
The Democrats have told the Republicans that they need to change their ideology. The Republicans need to throw it back in their faces and them and the Governor that they need to change THEIR ideology.
First TN; now CA. Great.
Californians have a captive audience right there in the State House. Why aren’t they marching on the Capitol and demanding “NO NEW TAXES”! And while they’re at it, ask for your tax refund check.
The people who make Kaleefornia work have to earn money. They are unable to march on Sacramento.
California is in this fix because of the tens of billions it gives to illegals in health care, schooling, tax avoidances, welfare and in the costs of illegal alien crime.
Get rid of the illegals and end the sanctuary program and it might have a chance of recovery. But the Democrats won’t give up the 4-6 million illegal votes when Obama amnesties them, so let them suffer. Southern California would be better off in Mexico now anyhow.
Mr. Steele, are you seeing this? Maybe you could borrow some backbone and do something about our three resident traitor senators in DC.
Thank Goodness!
another breath of fresh air and who woulda thought from Cal.
Not sure you want to do that.
...just sayin’, that’d be my headline....
Absolutely! The Rats are suffering from incompetent leadership, and need to follow the Pubs example and get new leaders who know how to pass a budget!
If only San Francisco would secede...
Yes, how peculiar, that the legislature would set it up so it was hard to raise taxes. To a leftist, that is very peculiar.
To citizen's rights supporters, it's basic comment sense.
This is a good sign!
If this would start happening all over we could call it a MOVEEEEMENT! Yeah, that’s the ticket!
A MOOOOVVVVEEEMNT! Yeah.........
I agree. It’s really too bad the Senate of the United States didn’t have to get a two thirds majority to pass Porkulus I. I believe that used to be the case, and at some point they reduced it to only 60%.
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