CA: California the exception as legislators nationwide embrace new taxes

Sac Bee ^ | 7/22/03 | Tom Chorneau - AP

[NormsRevenge]

SACRAMENTO, Calif (AP) - Republican governors and legislators across the nation, facing big budget deficits and soft economic conditions, have reluctantly turned to tax hikes to solve their problems. But not in California.

In the Golden State, where Democrats rule, a staunch minority of Republican lawmakers have held up adoption of the state budget for three weeks by refusing to accept any new taxes.

[NormsRevenge]

There comes a time when We as a people must say .. "STOP the insanity!"

Stand Firm and Stand United!

[pogo101]

a staunch minority of Republican lawmakers have held up adoption of the state budget for three weeks by refusing to accept any new taxes

Biased intro to the issue. Imagine the outcry if the writer had said, "two-thirds of the Legislature, all Democrats, have blocked a budget by refusing to accept a GOP-proposed 4% reduction in state spending."

[henderson field]

Oh I get it. Congress ships the jobs overseas so the economy goes in the toilet and then it raises taxes so at least the government employees won't suffer.

[kegler4]

Virginia closed a $5 billion without raising taxes. Of course the Republican legislature did rasise a number of "fees," a number of which are essentially taxes because virtually everybody has to pay them. The governor is a Democrat.

[NormsRevenge]

Ping

[LOC1]

Texas closed a $10B deficit without raising taxes.....seems the liberal media are misrepresenting things again......surprise, surprise.

[blackdog]

My prediction is true. The Bush tax cuts at the federal level just meant more money available to tax at the state and local levels. I would bet that if you do the math, between higher fees, vehicle taxes, increased school taxes, and increased retail, realestate, and profession taxes, the net increase in state spending will mirror the decrease in federal taxes. In other words......It's not your money to get back.

[Mr. Bird]

raises taxes so at least the government employees won't suffer.

Quite true, sadly. A huge portion of state budgets is consumed by the wages, benefits, and payroll taxes of state employees. Remarkably, they are never on the chopping block. And anyone who has dealt with state employees (any state, really) knows that there is plenty of dead weight just begging to be s***canned.

The solution? The same one proposed at the national level by some very smart people: eliminate the tax code. Not for eternity, of course (gee, wouldn't that be nice). No, just pass a budget and then wipe the slate clean, effective one year later. Legislators would have to undertake a thorough accounting of all state expenses and develop a tax plan that could adequately fund them. And with everything on the table, they'd have political cover to trim a whole lot of people and other costs.

It would take some gonads, but it would be very cool.

[Uncle Hal]

Another hit piece on the mean spirited GOP by the main stream press. Folks things are really going to get ugly in the next months. You have not seen nothing yet.

[jocko12]

NO NEW TAXES OR FEE INCREASES!!!!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Real interesting, doesn't that say California is more conservative?

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[Canticle_of_Deborah]

doesn't that say California is more conservative?

Imagine that ;-)

[Weimdog]

"But 12 other states with Republican governors or Republican-dominated Legislatures have passed tax packages this year to close budget gaps"

Aw shucks guys, just go ahead and raise taxes, everybody else is doing it.

What a friggin' lame article.

[Major Matt Mason]

Give a Democrat some money and he will spend it," said Brulte, of Rancho Cucamonga.

Sadly, you could say this about many in the GOP these days. They might be fighting the good fight in CA, but they are caving in to Democrats virtually everywhere else. So much for being the party of limited government.

[Political Junkie Too]

Republican governors and legislators across the nation, facing big budget deficits and soft economic conditions, have reluctantly turned to tax hikes to solve their problems. But not in California.

Since California already has the second highest taxes in the nation, it seems to me that the other states had room to tax. Using California as an example of a "holdout" on increasing taxes is disingenuous; the other states are finally approaching California in the level of taxation.

-PJ

[NormsRevenge]

California has led this nation before, and it very well may be leading it again. But it will not be easy and requires Folks to get real and get serious about what we are up against here. We are fighting bold faced socialism, a disease that must be stamped out before it destroys us from within as a people. When we no longer look to God and instead, look to government, then we are lost as a nation.