What a freaking joke! One week after the election we get the big "State budget deficit" story with the accompanying "budget cut" lingo. It just so happens the Legislative Analyst couldn’t get the job done in time so that voters would know about the debt they just piled on top of a budget crisis in the form of $43 billion in bonds. With new leadership in the State Assembly on our side in the form of Mike Villines (R), Clovis, the Minority Caucus essentially has three jobs over the next two years: 1. Stick together at all times. The Democrats and Governor will lay lots of deals on the table to pick off budget votes, particularly to the termed out legislators. If even one member breaks from the Caucus we might as well throw in the towel; 2. Tell the Governor now, that there will be no votes for a deficit budget or tax increase from our Caucus, and present a list of legislative items we will need in order for their to be any Republican votes on even a balanced budget; 3. Change the language in the budget debate. Already we are hearing about "massive budget cuts" when really the message from Caucus and State GOP should be "modest rollbacks of recent massive increases in State spending".
Ultimately, Villines will be judged on his ability to succeed in these three areas. And we should be asking this of Elizabeth Hill, regarding the timing of the dour budget projections: "What did she know, and when did she know it?"
November 16th, 2006 at 12:00 am
She wrote about it in July and again in September. http://www.lao.ca.gov
Some of the impetus for the bonds may have been Republicans could not get general fund money for roads and levees any other way. The money to pay those bonds back will come at the expense of other programs most of which Republicans hate.