In the wee hours this morning, the California State Assembly, following behind the Senate who had done so hours before, passed along to Governor Schwarzenegger a budget that represents the collision of two immutable forces — Democrats who simply refuse to reduce state spending to a reasonable amount, and Republican legislators who finally have said "enough is enough" and refuse to raise taxes any longer to feed the overspending.
The result is, as Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association calls it in a column on the FlashReport today, a budget that is ugly, but holds the line on taxes. And we agree, this budget is an unfortunate one, because it doesn’t represent what Californians deserve, but it likely represents the best that they are going to get, given the dominance of the radical left in the building.
It is widely accepted that one of the items that actually moved the budget negotiations away from a "Democrats with Arnold" model to a "Big Four" legislative leader model was some capitol hi-jinks perpetrated by Assembly Republicans (h/t to Assemblyman Joel Anderson) who donned name tags when the Governor came to speak to their caucus. I understand from several well-placed Capitol sources that when word of this made its way to legislative Democrats, it was a clear sign that any hope they had that the Governor would be able to "pick off" votes for his sales-tax scheme were off of the table. Shortly thereafter this deal started to come together…
**There is more – click the link**
September 16th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Would hope Flash Report readers are not so so dumb to believe this article…..
This budget is like I told you….lots of clapping, shaking hands, smiles and the cheap suits rolling over like Lassie in her many “B” movies….
How could anyone vote for these guys….
Where are those deep deep spending cuts….
Republicans are as bad as the socialists…
Now we await THE TERMINATOR to veto this mess for all the wrong reasons…
California will continue to have a spending problem….and soon they will come for ya through negating Prop. 13…..ugh!
September 16th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Once again Jon, you have gone off the rails. The Republicans have put their foot right in the Democrat trap. If the Governor vetoes this bad budget, which he should, and the Republicans vote to override, guess who will get the full blame for that “borrowing” from the taxpayers? I’ll give you a minute to think. Give up? Why, the Republicans, of course. And right before the election, too. How convenient – for the Democrats. Hopefully, the Republicans will come to their senses, uphold the Governor’s veto, and then hold out for real cuts to bring the budget into balance. And hopefully, they will hold out until November 5.
September 16th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Principled stands by our elected GOPers in Sacramento on days like this remind me why I am a Republican.
/sarcasm
I remember when Sen. Battin was extolling the virtues of the Nunez/Perata attempt give themselves more time in the legislature.
We were told that if it didn’t pass, we would lose Republicans…the very Republicans we need to stand and fight for us.
As I said then…and as I say now…what a joke.
September 16th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I am wondering if this 10% increase in withholding (“borrowing from the taxpayers”) will have the same slowing effect on the economy as a tax increase. Sure taxpayers will get the money back (we are told), but it is still capital taken out of the taxpayer’s pocket. Money that would have been spent as the taxpayer’s desired which would have been a stimulating effect on the economy, or it would have possibly been used as a capital investment which would also have stimulated the economy. Depending on the actual size of this “borrowing”, it might actually be a drag on the economy exasperating the deficit problem
September 17th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I’ve seen a few comments saying that all one needs to do is increase the number of “dependents” on their W-4 form and that will defeat this tax on withholding. Be careful – you sign the W-4 under penalty of perjury.