California lawmakers return to budget woes, personal issues

Sacramento Bee ^ | 1/5/12 | Torey Van Oot

[SmithL]

Lawmakers returned to Sacramento with a bang Wednesday, kicking off 2012 with a flurry of new bills, a leadership transition and no shortage of drama involving members' personal troubles.

While tackling a projected budget deficit of roughly $12 billion over the next 18 months will be a top priority, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg predicted that members would take action on a long list of issues during the second year of the two-year session, including public employee pensions, the state's high-speed rail project and an $11 billion water bond slated for the November ballot.

The Sacramento Democrat said he felt the three-month recess, the first full break of its kind in years, had given members the energy and focus to "get off to a fast start."

[SmithL]

Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi, left, talks with Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani, but wouldn't speak to reporters about her shoplifting arrest.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

This is addict behavior on a state-wide scale. The system is broke, the only solution is to stop spending, yet the voters can't let go. They want one more hit of spending and will beg, borrow or steal to get it. So they keep voting these corrupt Dems back into office. Its like giving a drunk the keys to the liquor cabinet.

The “woes” won't be solved until someone seriously cuts spending. An across the board 25% cut. Quite frankly, it won't hurt anyone that much other than those whose lives depend on suckling off the public teat.

[cableguymn]

These democrat “voters” will likely move on to the next state once they have completely trashed CA.

It’s commie creep.

[fr_freak]

This is addict behavior on a state-wide scale. The system is broke, the only solution is to stop spending, yet the voters can't let go. They want one more hit of spending and will beg, borrow or steal to get it.

I guarantee you that this is not quite the mentality that is driving our rocket ride to bankruptcy. The majority of voters who put these communists into office and vote in every bond measure by referendum simply aren't connecting cause and effect. They see a politician that says "I'm for the environment. I want to save our planet!" so they vote him in without thinking for one second what the consequences will be of his ridiculous policies and regulations. It's the same with all of the bond measures - they see "$20 million for midnight basketball! It's for the children!" so they vote for it because it makes them feel warm and fuzzy, without recognizing that the money spent is part of the reason we're broke.

I think of the liberal voters in CA as high school girls who were just given a credit card by daddy, who then go out on an endless shopping spree because all they see is that they get cool stuff. They don't see the bill come back to daddy later and actual money change hands, so they don't associate their runaway spending with actual money.

[El Cid]

RE: 4
I think of the liberal voters in CA as high school girls who were just given a credit card by daddy, who then go out on an endless shopping spree because all they see is that they get cool stuff. They don't see the bill come back to daddy later and actual money change hands, so they don't associate their runaway spending with actual money.

Good analogy, but what really destroys the system (and this is also true on a Federal level), is that when you have 50% of the Population not paying income tax -- they see very little incentive to control spending.

Add on top of that the ~20% that work for the Government, and therefore benefit by expansion of Government and increased Government spending ... the Republic is fairly well cooked...

[manc]

but they can make little kids at school sit there and be taught about homosexuality and turd poking.

Can every conservative not republican please get the hell out of that hell hole and move to CO, NM, AZ and make those states more red.
CA is a lost cause

[wac3rd]

The result of growing Government spending and hiring (lifetime-paid) at all levels is an economic reality known as deficits and higher taxation.

Government makes nothing. It eats and craps but provides nothing in the way of economic growth.

Cops are needed and so are teachers, on 401K’s with a small match, not the bonanza of CALPERS.

It never ends, until we all leave and it’s ceded back to the Mexicans.

[wac3rd]

I want to move, but I have no job opportunities elsewhere.

[vette6387]

“These democrat “voters” will likely move on to the next state once they have completely trashed CA.”

Exactly, and they came here to California from the East Coast to set up shop and trash our once beautiful, first place in everything state. They’ve moved up the West Coast and are crapping up Oregon. They tried to screw up Utah, but I don’t think they’ve been successful there.

[El Cid]

Re: 7

I agree. The tax-funded bailout of CALPERs, and politicians writing checks that were never funded to promise rich pensions was/is a killer. It should have been just 401Ks, and I'd provide zero matching (like most private companies). Also, schools should be privatized. Just get the education system off the government books, and off the socialist brainwashing.

[TheOldLady]

Click on a Doomed Dinosaur

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