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Dan Walters: Protesters can't alter fiscal facts
Sacramento Bee ^ | 3/23/10 | Daniel Burke, Religion News Service

Posted on 03/23/2010 8:08:03 AM PDT by SmithL

Thousands of public college students gathered at the Capitol on Monday to protest cutbacks in state aid to colleges and rising collegiate fees.

They joined an expanding club of those with stakes in the deficit-ridden state budget who dislike what's happening – furloughed state workers, home health care providers and recipients, doctors who serve the poor, teachers, even farmers whose open space subsidies have been eliminated.

Each stakeholder group makes its case with as much drama as it can muster, often with stories of horrendous effects, real or apocryphal. Surely, each argues, money can be found to avoid draconian cutbacks in its particular program. Surely something else – fill in the blank – is less important to the welfare of the state.

The simple fact, however, is that their demands, including those already in law, add up to tens of billions of dollars more than the state's recession-battered revenue system can muster, even with the temporary tax increases enacted a year ago.

The gap is likely to widen unless there is some very explosive recovery from the worst recession since the Great Depression. And chances of that happening are nil, even the most optimistic economists concede. It would take a decade of record-high economic growth to wipe out job losses from this recession.

More tax increases are politically impossible, as even the Legislature's pro-tax Democratic leaders acknowledge. Their most optimistic scenario is for revenues to pick up a little bit and for the federal government, whose budget deficits are proportionately bigger than California's, to give us a few extra billion dollars.

Even were the Democrats' rosy scenario to become reality, California would still be left with at least a $10 billion deficit, which would still require more of the cuts that the college students and other protesters abhor.

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


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: budget; fantasyland; goldenstate; yourtaxdollarsatwork

1 posted on 03/23/2010 8:08:04 AM PDT by SmithL
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To: SmithL
If California's government could print its own money, its dependent classes would be happy.

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

2 posted on 03/23/2010 8:12:34 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: SmithL
Thousands of public college students gathered at the Capitol on Monday to protest cutbacks in state aid to colleges and rising collegiate fees.

Hey punks, join the rest of us. Too damn bad your King Obama is changing America. Us moms, dads, grandparents must suffer so you lousy punks have it easy while we hurt. Go to H.

3 posted on 03/23/2010 8:13:29 AM PDT by Logical me
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To: SmithL

I recall a famous quote from our dear leader’s spirtual advisor. This quote seems appropriate to these groups. Reality bites. Unfortunately, many conservative Californians are hit by the difficult economic times.


4 posted on 03/23/2010 8:13:45 AM PDT by businessprofessor
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To: SmithL
There are fiscal facts about HCR that are being ignored, so this is to be expected.
5 posted on 03/23/2010 8:17:14 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Islam is a religion of peace, and Muslims reserve the right to kill anyone who says otherwise.)
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To: SmithL
even with the temporary tax increases enacted a year ago.
Temporary tax ....... haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

6 posted on 03/23/2010 8:21:30 AM PDT by oh8eleven (RVN '67-'68)
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To: SmithL

These kids will get a taste of the real world when the Gubmint employees start rioting


7 posted on 03/23/2010 8:38:52 AM PDT by twistedwrench
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To: SmithL

“Socialist governments always run out of other people’s money.” - Margaret Thatcher


8 posted on 03/23/2010 8:42:14 AM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: Lancey Howard
And they thought "Killing the goose that laid the Golden Eggs" was only a fairy tale...

That's the pure essence of SOCIALISM.

Some people are born to be slaves. They register as democrats.

9 posted on 03/23/2010 9:35:58 AM PDT by Huebolt (PDemocrat = (national socialist) = NAZI)
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To: SmithL
Dan Walters: Protesters can't alter fiscal facts...

Facts? How middle class!!!

10 posted on 03/23/2010 10:20:38 AM PDT by gogeo ("Every one has a right to be an idiot. He abuses the privilege!" Groucho Marx)
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To: SmithL; SierraWasp; tubebender; Ernest_at_the_Beach

Dan seems to have awaken from his decade old trance of blaming prop 13 for every ill in California.

His articles in the last year show that the legislature has spent too much money and has forced the state, cities and counties into probable bankruptcy.


11 posted on 03/23/2010 4:59:58 PM PDT by Grampa Dave (Use your $'s as weapons! Boycott Gay Frisco, since they keep Pelosi in congress.)
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