Posted on 01/16/2011 6:04:08 PM PST by SmithL
Gov. Jerry Brown has barely taken office, but he's already presented an audacious plan for the state budget. It's audacious to presume that the voters will agree to an extension of the state's current tax rates for another five years, for one thing, but the assumption is based on an even bolder idea.
Brown wants to transfer enormous responsibility for major services to local governments. His gamble - and it's a big one - is that the voters will agree to pay the taxes as long as they can connect them with the services in their own communities.
The fact that "realignment," as the governor's budget summary calls the new strategy, is a sound policy idea may help with the politics of selling taxes to the public. The details of the governor's huge realignment strategy matter, and we haven't seen all of them yet. But as a concept, realignment is a good one.
Many state programs are already administered by local governments - why not just eliminate the overlap and the extra expense? Plus, different counties have different needs and different priorities. Allowing them to decide what their communities need the most is the right idea.
There are pitfalls, of course. Some counties are much wealthier than others, with tax bases that make them much more willing and able to spend lavish sums on their communities. Economic disparities are a big reason why so much local power was transferred to the state in the first place, beginning in the 1970s. In returning power to local governments, Brown must ensure that poorer counties aren't shortchanged.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Economic disparities are a big reason why so much local power was transferred to the state in the first place, beginning in the 1970s. In returning power to local governments, Brown must ensure that poorer counties aren't shortchanged.In other words, transfer power, but not really.
This is great. The socialist engineers on the state level will coordinate with the local socialists and be able to produce even more micro-management of the lives of the minions. Soon they will have block by block legions of ‘Minders’ to keep an eye on things. This way if anyone gets out of line they can have a demonstration in front of the offenders house to set things straight.
It’s showtime in California. Jerry is back in town.
Some of you Californians...I just gotta ask...something seems weird to someone like me watching from afar.
Now I only read the headlines, so maybe I’m getting the wrong impression...but it sure seems to ME like Jerry Brown is doing some REAL conservative things.
Enlighten me, please. Am I nuts, or am I just reading the headlines wrong, or is he doing some real good things out there, at least in the beginning?
I was at my favorite Gun Store Friday. Hadn’t been there for quite awhile, and talk turned to Cal Politics. I said to the effect, “...and the dumb bastards voted back Jerry Brown” to something my friend had said. He looked at me shaking his head and said...”I’m so tired of stupid”.
“I’m so tired of stupid”
He couldn’t have said it better IMO.
As a former Californian, perhaps Jerry Brown doesn’t want to end his career by having the state collapse on his watch.
Transfer the money from the makers to the takers, and the power to spend the portion of taxes that are reappropriated back to the local districts will reflect the central control that you are supposed to believe no longer has its hands in your pockets.
If you say it fast enough, and the public plugs their collective ears while yelling at the top of their lungs, it sounds pretty good.
This could be a real strain on the state pension situation.
If a county agency takes up a state function, the state employees could be laid off and if they are senior employees, sign up for their pensions.
In general, this seems like a conservative idea...that power should always be pushed to the most decentralized level. Am I missing something?
California senate republicans won’t allow the state to raise taxes, according to our constitution a 2/3rds majority is needed for any tax increase. And opposition to higher taxes is the sole issue which unites the California GOP. In any event, Brown is trying to get around that hurdle by having local governments raise their taxes, which then he can raid at his leisure.
About the only good thing I can say about Brown is that he’s no worse than Arnold.
It depends on whether Sacramento will really give up its oversight of regions and cities. I think it will work only if the taxing power is transferred to them along with the ability to decide what programs they want to run. Otherwise voters will see it as a gimmick to saddle them with new taxes for several years.
This sounds good, but we are talking about Jerry Brown here.
You’re not nuts.
Black is white.
;-)
I’m actually in favor of letting the poorer counties be shortchanged. The consequence of that will be that they’ll have to limit services and the parasites will move to the richer counties, resulting in the rich liberals who love them so dearly having to live with and pay for them.
Yup. If its not real decentralization, its just PR cover for the tax increases. And voters are smart enough to see the difference.
They already do.
They’re called precinct captains.......
They already do.
They’re called precinct captains.......
The Moonbeam originally centralized everything in Sacramento in reaction to Proposition 13. Now that the state is broke, he wants to unmake that omelet. Good luck with it.
Exactly... They should give out bus tickets to Marin county...
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