FLASHREPORT

ASSEMBLY DEMOCRAT BUDGET INCREASES STATE SPENDING BY $3 BILLION!

[Publisher's Note:  We are pleased to bring you this original commentary by Assemblyman Mike Villines.  Mike Villines is the elected leader of Assembly Republicans - Flash]

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With the Legislature fast running out of time to pass a balanced budget before the June 30 deadline, Assembly Democrats finally came forward with a budget plan last week after months of inaction.

It’s clear, however, that Democrats still have not learned their lesson.  They refuse to get serious about finding significant budget savings, instead pushing a budget that raises $6.4 billion in taxes and ignores our multi-billion deficit.

Their plan recycles the failed ways of the past that caused our budget problems in the first place – more spending and more taxes.  In fact, their budget proposal increases spending by $3 billion over last years budget! 

I was most disappointed to see Assembly Democrats base their entire budget proposal on imposing at least $6.4 billion in higher taxes on hard working Californians.  To avoid opposition, they refuse to specify who they would tax and by how much.  This is in addition to the more than $30 billion in higher taxes they have already proposed this year, including higher car taxes, sales taxes, income taxes, property taxes and new taxes on grocery store bags.

Raising taxes will do very little to solve our budget crisis and will actually make our budget problems much worse.

We should not be looking to punish working families with higher taxes because Democrats refuse to stop overspending.  Many families are struggling to make ends meet with home values falling and the prices of groceries and gas rapidly rising.  With our economy in decline, many are worried whether they will even have a job in the near future.  Californians simply cannot afford higher taxes.

Assembly Republicans believe it is our responsibility as lawmakers to work together to craft realistic, responsible budget solutions that Republicans and Democrats alike can embrace. 

It’s time to get serious about cutting wasteful spending, suspending unnecessary programs, rejecting new programs and finding significant savings if we are going to make any progress toward balancing the budget this year.  Raising taxes and increasing spending is a step backward.

Republicans are prepared to lead.  We will continue to push for a balanced budget that gets our fiscal house in order.  This year, we have already proposed an education budget plan to increase classroom dollars without hurting the deficit or increasing taxes.  We have also put forward several common-sense reforms to let government stretch our tax dollars to their fullest without impacting vital services. 

By putting forward this budget plan, Democrats have exposed their true motive – increase spending on welfare and health programs.  Earlier this year, they claimed they simply wanted to raise taxes to fund education.  But under this budget plan, 80 percent of their $6.4 billion tax increase goes to non-education programs.   

Raising taxes will hurt families and kill jobs.  We hope Democrats will stop the gimmicks and the political drills and work with Republicans and Governor Schwarzenegger to make the hard budget choices and craft the realistic, balanced budget that gets California back on track.
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Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines of Fresno represents the 29th Assembly District in the California Legislature.