"Assemblyman Keith Richman, R-Northridge, acknowledged Saturday that he is one of the four Republicans who plan to vote for the budget deal.
Richman, a first-term lawmaker, said he didn't think it would hurt him politically to break with Republicans and vote for the budget.
``This is the right budget,'' Richman said. ``This is a more fiscally prudent budget than the one submitted by the governor.''
One condition of Richman's support -- putting to voters a constitutional amendment steering a gradually increasing percentage of its general budget to schools, highways, parks and water projects starting in 2006 -- cleared the Assembly Saturday by a 75-0 vote. It needed to be passed by the Senate before the Assembly budget vote would be taken off call, and that had not happened by 11:15 p.m."
"Assemblyman John Campbell of Irvine, the Assembly Republicans' main budget negotiator, said Republicans consider the deal a victory in the area of taxes. ``The straight-up tax increases have been taken out of this.''
Some Republicans who planned to vote against the budget blasted it on the Assembly floor Saturday night.
``I hope the people of California are listening up because you are being shot right dead in the wallet,'' said Assemblyman Jay La Suer, R-La Mesa.
I did not see any mention of the actual overall deficit. When last we saw it, it was headed south towards $27 billion. It's not surprising that the Mercury News never stated it. I suspect that they were only able to "close" it to about $24 billion. So, where will they get the money?
Yup. They're going to borrow it. And who will pay for the borrowing?
Yup. That would be us.
Also note that the quid pro quo that Richman asked for didn't happen. That's what he gets for trusting RATs...