Here is an exclusive commentary from Cameron Smyth, Chairman of the Assembly Republican Caucus:
Governor Is Right to Veto Unconstitutional Democrat Budget Plan
By Assembly Republican Caucus Chairman Cameron Smyth
Rather than working with the Governor and Republicans to bridge our budget differences, Democrats embarked upon a different course Thursday.
Ignoring the Constitution and the will of the people, they tried to impose billions in higher taxes through a simple majority vote of the Legislature. The Democrat budget plan would send you and your family a $10.8 billion tax bill to bail them out for the years of reckless budgets and out-of-touch priorities by the liberal majority that caused our budget crisis in the first place.
They call their plan a “balanced” approach, but the only balance is that every kind of tax you can imagine would be raised including:
- 2.5 percent surcharge on the income tax bills of every Californian,
- A new “highway users fee” on every gallon of gas that is really just a gas tax increase, (to the tune of 13 cents per gallon),
- A new tax on oil production that will make gas prices higher
- A 3/4 cent increase in the state sales tax,
- A $12 increase in the car tax.
- Elimination of the Williamson Act
Democrats tried to refer these taxes as “fees” to sneak them through the Legislature. But we know this clearly violates taxpayer protections in the Constitution requiring a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to pass tax increases. But that doesn’t faze Democrats. When it comes to taking more of your money, they will stop at nothing – even ignoring the law.
We know that raising taxes would make it more expensive to do business in California and threaten jobs throughout the State. It would hurt the working families Democrats claim to be fighting for especially hard, so many of whom are struggling to make ends meet and cannot afford new taxes.
Worse still, for all the taxes that Democrats propose to raise, their plan would do little to solve California’s long-term budget problems. There is no economic recovery plan to promote more investment and job creation in our state and bring in new tax revenue. There is no education reform to give schools more flexibility so they can protect classroom dollars during this budget crisis. There is no government reform to ensure government operates more efficiently. There is no budget reform to force the Legislature to stop overspending and live within its means.
The “savings” in their plan are really just one-time cuts and tricks to make it seem like they are really saving. It fails to target fast-growing programs that continually drain the state budget year after year.
However, there is one area where Democrats did attempt to make painful cuts – public safety. They cut funding for frontline officers, community policing and anti-gang efforts, which will make it harder for law enforcement to keep us safe. It contains a dangerous early release plan that would let thousands of dangerous inmates go free before completing their sentences.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Last week, Republicans proposed a fiscally-responsible budget that included both cuts and revenue – BUT NO NEW TAXES. Our plan cuts wasteful spending and suspends new programs we can’t afford, while fully funding the Proposition 98 minimum guarantee to our schools and protecting law enforcement. Only the Republican plan looks forward, proposing reforms to grow the economy and create jobs and fix our budget system so we only spend what the state takes in each year.
Now that the Governor has announced he will veto the Democrat plan, I hope they will get serious about working with us on bipartisan budget solutions. Republicans and taxpayer advocates made it clear that either through veto, legal challenge or referendum, the budget plan passed by Democrats would not stand. We need solutions, not stunts.
Silencing Republicans is not the way to reach bipartisan consensus. It’s time for Democrats to stop trying to go around us and start working with us to give Californians the honest budget they deserve.
Assembly Republican Caucus Chairman Cameron Smyth, R-Santa Clarita, represents the 38th Assembly District in the California Legislature.
December 21st, 2008 at 12:00 am
For crying out loud, quit defending the status quo and do something!!!! Republicans are now totally irrelevent in Sac thanks to their inability to lead or legislate. You should be ashamed of yourself re: this piece of tripe.