There has been a lot of conversation taking place, especially on the GOP side, about the billions of borrowing from local governments that takes place in this current budget deal.

Let me start out by saying that if I were to articulate the biggest problem with it — it is the "borrowing" part of it. The last thing that the state should be doing, if we are going to solve our chronic budget woes, is borrow money that has to be repaid (I guess this applies to education as well). Ideally you want to cut state spending to match available revenues — and we already know the state is maxed out on taxes. In the case of the education piece, I would put a repeal of Proposition 98 on the ballot…

Anyways, once we get past the borrowing problem, you get into the question of "from where" you are borrowing the money — for the purposes of this diatribe, local government.

As a taxpayer, I guess being the simple guy that I am, I had a ledger with only two sides — my money, and the money I give to government. I don’t distinguish what… Read More

This blog post falls under the catagory, "you can’t make this stuff up."

Apparently a major sticking point in the not-yet-complete budget deal has to do specifically with the education funding component. The "deal" calls for some significant cuts to education spending this year, and a promise to "pay those funds back" to education in a few years.

Whether or not you think that either sides of the education equation (cuts, repay) are a good idea or a bad idea, apparently the way things were set up was that at minimum, these changes would take place in two bills — with the cuts requiring a 2/3 vote (due to "urgency") and the payback side needed to pass on a majority vote. There was some discussion, I am told, that if proponents of the payback side of things could muster up a 2/3 vote in each house, then it could also be passed with urgency (why this is important is unclear to this non-policy guy).

Things start to get a little more sticky at this point. On the natural, it seems to me that you would move this education issue in two separate bills – presumably to allow more Dems to avoid voting for… Read More

As of around 7am when I am writing this, the State Senate has finished approving a bunch of bills that make up the budget deal negotiated by the Governor and legislative leaders over the past weeks. The State Assembly has approved most of the package, but is still hung up on the issue of the repayment of money to education.

It’s been a marathon session — and not much sleep for a lot of people. I know that I was up to the wee hours and just caught brief cat naps here or there. This is probably a good chance to talk about how embarrassed I am for the process around this marathon latenight session. There was no need to hold these votes through the dead of the night, away from the watchful eyes of the public. Oh, and all of the lofty words from Republican legislators about "transparency" and insisting that all of the language of these many bills be in print for at least 24 hours (inadequate but better than nothing) were just rhetoric. Many of the bills voted on were voted on upon receipt of the final language. So the fair and open and transparent process was sacrificed on the alter of the "deal" — sigh.

Moving… Read More

As of around 7am when I am writing this, the State Senate has finished approving a bunch of bills that make up the budget deal negotiated by the Governor and legislative leaders over the past weeks. The State Assembly has approved most of the package, but is still hung up on the issue of the repayment of money to education.

It’s been a marathon session — and not much sleep for a lot of people. I know that I was up to the wee hours and just caught brief cat naps here or there. This is probably a good chance to talk about how embarrassed I am for the process around this marathon latenight session. There was no need to hold these votes through the dead of the night, away from the watchful eyes of the public. Oh, and all of the lofty words from Republican legislators about "transparency" and insisting that all of the language of these many bills be in print for at least 24 hours (inadequate but better than nothing) were just rhetoric. Many of the bills voted on were voted on upon receipt of the final language. So the fair and open and transparent process was sacrificed on the alter of the "deal" — sigh.

Moving… Read More

When the Wall Street Journalbellowsthat the "Budget Deal Gives Boost to California Republicans", you know the Party has finally turned the the corner.

Senator Dennis Hollingsworth whose initial ascent gave hope to Republicans, that Republicans would behave like Republicans instead of accommodationists for bankrupt [literally] union legislative spending.The prior leader was woefully out of his depth. Let’shope that he is thelast of the ‘let’s get along crowd’ that has dramatically tarnished the Republican brand, hurt CRP fund raising and discouraged conservatives.… Read More

For FlashReport readers with a strong constitution and about seven extra minutes to spare, check out this video of State Senate President Darrell Steinberg. Within the first minute of his remarks of this afternoon, he starts railing on the 2/3 vote requirement to raise taxes and to pass a budget. It is a theme that he echoes over, and over, and over again. The voracious appetite of liberals to overtax the people is just stunning — and serves as a reminder of why the supermajority vote requirements are there. It is abundantly clear that Democrats want to end those requirements so that they can ratchet up a redistribution of wealth scheme that will leave our state floundering with an even worse economy.

Oh well, here is the whining of the Senate President…

(At the tail end, Steinberg talks about pushing a vote tonight or in the early hours. I sure hope that State Senate Republicans block such a manuever. Shame on them if, when it is over, they never gave conservative policy experts outside of the building a chance to review the documents and give substantive input.)… Read More

There are a myriad of cuts in the budget deal in the billions of dollars. A small amount of those savings would come from the axing of the Integrated Waste Management Board (there are five political appointees to that commission, all making generous six-figure salaries for what many characterize as part time work).

Three of the members of this commission are former Democrat lawmakers Carole "Crash" Migden, John "We Need More Taxes" Laird, and Sheila "I want government healthcare" Kuehl.

If the deal passes as described, at the end of this year, this particular board will vaporize, causing these three expanders of government to have to find a job. Unfortunately the big spending policies they embraced during their time in the legislature has played a contrributing role in making the recession here in California worse than it could be. So it’s not a very good time to look for a job.

That said, here is a website for Migden to help her start looking.

This site looks like a good starting point for Laird.

Kuehl can… Read More

I just got this nice note from Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, who read my column in support of term limits over on CalBuzz. Steve’s praise is especially meaningful because of his leadership role in defeating Prop. 93, or as we dubbed it, "The Fabian Nunez Career Extension Act."

Poizner’s note is below (for those who fear I would print your notes to me without asking — I asked Steve if I could post it, and he said it was okay)… Jon, I want to applaud your submission to Calbuzz this morning on term limits. I think you are spot on with many of your points. As you know, I was a leading voice on voting “No” to Prop 93. Even though we were outspent 3 to 1, voters sent the clear message that they favor strict term limits. As this budget process has demonstrated, we need to change the type of… Read More