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 ...
"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
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.
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.
These kids will get a taste of the real world when the Gubmint employees start rioting
“Socialist governments always run out of other people’s money.” - Margaret Thatcher
That's the pure essence of SOCIALISM.
Some people are born to be slaves. They register as democrats.
Facts? How middle class!!!
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.
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