Free Republic

The state treasury raked in $5 billion extra this year, state officials say, but because of what Finance Director Tom Campbell calls "autopilot spending," we must pay out $10 billion extra -- $5 billion more than we got. Special interest groups say much of it can't be helped -- it's for the "poor." For years, the Legislature has been busy shifting the earnings of one group of Californians into the pockets of another. That's why California is both a high tax state and a constant magnet for low-income newcomers, as recorded by the U.S. Census. First, we hand out goodies...

April 1, 2004 Understanding Virginia’s Tax Debate What’s at Stake? By Delegate Dick Black Q. Why can’t lawmakers agree on this year’s State budget? A. The Governor and Senate are demanding massive tax increases. This is the sole reason for budget deadlock in Richmond. The House of Delegates opposes higher taxes. Q. How much are the Senate and Governor demanding? A. The Governor wants the largest tax increase in Virginia history--$1 billion in new taxes. The Senate insists on $1,100 from each family. Senator Saslaw told the press, “You can’t give me enough money to satisfy me.” Richmond Times-Dispatch, February...

<p>There's no nice way to put this. The Republican ideologues in Virginia's House of Delegates are failing. They are failing the people of Virginia, failing to fulfill their constitutional duties, failing as leaders and failing to come up with anything resembling a real budget. They can't even convince us that they are working any longer or care about anything other than ideology.</p>