CA: Approving bad state budget was a necessary evil

Mercury News ^ | 7/30/03 | Op/Ed

[NormsRevenge]

Gov. Gray Davis will sign the budget the Assembly passed on Tuesday. It's either that or consign the state to chaos.

What different budget could Davis hope to push through, having seen legislators reject his two previous proposals?

If only the extra time had produced a better outcome. The new budget confirms every joke ever made about the quality of work produced by a committee. Instead of facing up the state's fiscal problems, it ducks most of them. Almost $11 billion will be borrowed. Already the next budget is reckoned to be $8 billion short.

[NormsRevenge]

Without any significant spending cuts, I'd say Chaos is guaranteed any way you look at this mess.

[NormsRevenge]

Hmmm? Reforms,, eh?

Oh , say ,, like retooling Prop 13, 55% legislative vote instead of 2'3rds approval required for budgets, tax hikes, etc, ie; more spending .. Perhaps 8-? Just a little tweaking and we'll be all better!

2004 will be the ultimate battleground election year to reclaim this state and its direction.... Ping

[LieFreeGov]

bump for my sorry-rectum'd state...

[VU4G10]

Gov. Gumby!

 

He was once a little green slab of clay. Gumby!

You should see what Gumby can do today. Gumby!

He can raise taxes and give illegals driver's licences, too.

If you're a wacky liberal then Gumby's a part of you.

[nothingnew]

My condolences to cailifornia FReepers.

FMCDH

[jocko12]

PUBBIES FOLD AGAIN!!!!

[hattend]

Davis said he will sign it, and at the same time he will announce a commission to study reforms.

Won't that cost money? LOL!!! Davis, you Doofus!

[NormsRevenge]

Thanks for reminding me.. ;-)

Open Mic Catches California Democrats
(AP) - Unaware that a live microphone was broadcasting their words around the Capitol, Assembly Democrats meeting behind closed doors debated prolonging California's budget crisis for political gain. Members of the coalition of liberal Democrats talked about slowing progress on the budget as a means of increasing pressure on Republicans. A microphone had been left on during the closed meeting Monday, and the conversation was transmitted to about 500 "squawk boxes" that enable staff members, lobbyists and reporters to listen in on legislative meetings. More...

• Democrats' Budget Debate - Excerpts [PDF] (CA GOP Caucus)
• Calif. Budget Crisis (PPIC) | Message board

[NormsRevenge]

I think a certain State Senator is a couple of steps ahead of old Davi$, as usual. ;-)

It's called BRAC.

Senator McClintock's BRAC Legislation is Approved by the California Senate

Senator Tom McClintock

Date: July 27, 2003

Publication Type: Press Release

Measure sets up a Bureaucracy Realignment and Closure Commission to identify, downsize or eliminate obsolete state bureaucracie.

(Sacramento) – Senate Bill 9 by State Senator Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks) was approved today by the California State Senate by a vote of 36 to 0. The bill sets up a Bureaucracy Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) to identify, downsize or eliminate obsolete state government bureaucracies.

The legislation is modeled after the federal military base realignment and closure commission which successfully closed 90 obsolete military bases, saving $20 billion per year. Senator McClintock’s legislation, SB 9, applies the same mechanism to a similar problem: how to identify, downsize or eliminate obsolete bureaucracies in state government.

The difficulty in conducting such a review – and acting upon it – is that every program has a highly motivated constituency that jealously and expertly guards its budget.

Faced with the long overdue need to close obsolete military bases, the federal government confronted the same paralysis caused by interest group pressure. Ultimately, Congress broke the gridlock when it took the task of reviewing bases out of the political arena and gave it to an independent panel of management experts that returned a comprehensive recommendation for a single up-or-down vote.

SB 9 will empanel an independent commission of management experts to examine state bureaucracies to determine which ones perform obsolete or duplicate services. The plan will then be presented to the Legislature for a single yes or no vote.

“I think we all agree that this government could operate a lot more efficiently,” said Senator McClintock.

The bill next moves to the California State Assembly.

[45Auto]

The Commie Mercury News - Never saw a tax increase that was bad. Morons, phoneys, Marxists, the whole lot of 'em. The sole editorial purpose of this rotten newspaper is to advance the Socialist Agenda - higher taxes are good for us - illegals are good for us - Draconia gun laws are good for us - homosexuality is harmless - rational people are bad - those who want to keep a little of their income are bad - oh, those poor immigrants, we shouldn't "force" them to speak English; just give 'em the damn driver's licenses so they can get around to pick up their welfare checks. Its always the same thing with that paper. I stopped reading it when Calvin and Hobbes went away.

[Amerigomag]

Without any significant spending cuts

Significant? You mean as in a spending increase since the budget will be the largest enacted budget in California's history and is 1.6% larger than last year's budget.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

It would be really simple if they said only 40% needed to pass money bills! LOL!

calgov2002:

calgov2002: for old calgov2002 articles. 

calgov2002: for new calgov2002 articles. 

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[Judith Anne]

I've been fascinated, reading the series of articles on California. Thanks for posting, it's really illuminating...

[daviddennis]

Did you see #10?

The more I see of McClintock ... the more I like the guy.

Do you know if he's going to do a fundraiser here in LA?

D

[kellynla]

Oh I am sure he will. Best thing to do is contact his office.

[kellynla]

re#10 And you know the only way it will ever be signed into law is if he is elected governor.

[NormsRevenge]

You're most welcome. All of us CA posters appreciate folks such as yourself reading and replying re: these articles.

California and its problems truly do mirror what ails America; ie. Runaway bureaucracies answerable to no one, working hand in hand with demRats wearing socialist clothing.

[gcruse]

"If rape is inevitable, put a Republican into office. Then, when he's all f*****d out, democrats will look good again."

[goldstategop]

There are no real spending cuts in this budget or for that matter spending reforms to help avert another fiscal meltdown. This is a "smoke and mirrors" budget, exactly the same as the one the State Legislature passed the year before.