Posted on 05/20/2009 9:07:22 PM PDT by calcowgirl
EDUCATION
In California, education receives 40% of the total annual state budget. It is said to be the largest percentage in the nation. Yet our education system is ranked next to last among the states. Obviously, spending more money has not been the answer. Suggestions include:
1. Mandate that all public school districts reduce administrative expenses by a full 50% percent beginning July 1st.
2. Withdraw all unfunded mandates imposed by the legislature on school districts over the past 15 years. Going forward, only allow mandates that the legislature funds in advance.
3. Remove any and all state imposed class size restrictions.
4. Limit tort litigation against public schools to only those instances that involve successful criminal prosecution. Ban frivolous lawsuits.
5. Wherever possible, force school districts to consolidate transportation and maintenance related services so as to reduce unnecessary duplication
STATE GOVERNMENT
Public spending in this arena is unconscionable, wasteful, fraudulent and unethical. The career pigs feeding at the public trough have got to become leaner and far more efficient. Now is the time to:
1. Eliminate perks provided to ALL political office holders. No more cars provided by the state and no more gasoline bills paid by the taxpayers. No more than one, very small and inexpensive, office within their home districts. No per diem expense money. No more paid travel out of state. No paid meals. Professional politicians can pick up their own expenses just like the rest of us.
2. A hiring freeze across all departments of state government except for emergency services. Existing personnel required to pick up the slack when an employee leaves government. In instances where the work load becomes unsustainable, utilize part time employees at a reasonable hourly rate who do not qualify for benefits.
3. Mandate that the publicly paid staff expenses of all elected politicians be reduced by 50% beginning as of July 1st.
4. Permanently freeze the pay of all elected politicians to the current 2009 levels.
5. Across the board, increase deductibles for anyone and everyone receiving or qualified to receive care benefits paid by the state. This to include retirees.
6. Going forward, all contracts negotiated by the state with the public employee unions must be approved by voters before taking effect.
7. Determine a set percentage expense reduction, to be applied across the board to all state departments, that will serve to reduce expenses to the level of funding receipts so that the budget is balanced.
8. Permanently eliminate the practice of spending taxpayer money on welfare and health care expenses for non-citizens. Proof of citizenship must become a prerequisite for qualification to receive publicly financed assistance.
By the way, it would not hurt to solicit expense reduction ideas from taxpayers during the search to find ways to regain fiscal sanity.
The time to restore the common good over political payback as the guiding principle in developing a balanced budget is long overdue. Common sense must replace failed far left Utopian ideology or the State of California has no long term future.
http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2009/05/california-cuts-what-pols-cant-grasp.html
I am certainly confused over how Bass even gets to be in the legislature, let alone is Speaker. I won’t even begin to list the things I’m fatigued over.
bump
She’s wrong. The propositions were not hard to understand at all, just really, really stupid. The election itself was a huge waste of tax payer money.
Isn't human sacrifice like worse than torture? I'll have to let this one slide because I'm not prepared to argue the "human" aspect of state legislators in Sacto.
Just sent her this email:
Karen... This retired old mud Marine knew EXACTLY what I was voting against yesterday... the mendacious and deceitful machinations of you big spending thieves up in Sacramento. You should be hanging your heads, the lot of you, but between you there isn’t enough shame at your abominable behavior to fill a thimble. You’re a despicable bunch, you democrats, and your accomplices, the pubbie who abandoned any pretense at principles by voting with you and the equally unprincipled governor.
And your post-election comments add a new low to this already sordid story, reminding me anew just how much I loathe and despise you and your tax-and-spend cronies. You make me long for the day when you’ll be another two term politician-— one term in office and the other in prison.
From my heart,
DC Wright
USMC Retired
Ouch!
Mine was a lot more mild -- but similar sentiment.
I have a thought - let's nullify every business choking regulation passed in the last decade (such as AB32,) thus eliminating the need for new commissions and personnel to enforce them. This will cut the budget at the same time as fostering business health and increasing associated revenues to the state.
Unfortunately it'll never happen...makes too much sense.
I had a similar thought at the end of the video. She was talking about having to DO something (given the economy, etc).
I thought "why don't you QUIT doing things -- or UNDO things"? Then there might be a chance for recovery.
from our local MN libtard politician , Larry Pogemiller:
“I think it’s simplistic and naive to say people can spend their money better than the government…The notion that everybody can individually spend their money better than government I, I just think is trite, wrongheaded and anti-democratic.”
Yikes! That quote is unbelievable.
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