Today is the 44th Day Without A Budget, and there is lots of news!!!
1. The Governor has agreed with the Democrats to raise taxes. Now they have to tell the Republican that, just like the Governor, they need to go back on their word to the people of California.
2. The Prison Czar that is looking to put a prison in Camarillo, is suing the Governor for $8 billion and contempt of court. The contempt? The Governor refused to steal $2.5 billion from the State just because Clark Kelso demanded he do it. That was after Kelso demanded the Legislature give him $7 billion, no questions asked and they are not allowed to know how he will spend the money.
Kelso is still refusing to tell the people of Ventura County about his plans. Wonder if he will provide guns to the folks in Camarillo to protect themselves from the murderers he is bringing to their community?
3. A Republican State Senator, Roy Ashburn of Bakersfield has announced he is willing to vote for increases taxes on the poor and middle class. He is upset he was taken off the Rules Committee. So, he wants to punish 38 million Californians for that slight.
4. The Luddites Rule!! Highway 50, a key freeway in and around Sacramento will NOT be widened. Why? Because if you allow more cars, you will get Global Warming. Instead, the Luddites prefer traffic jams.
5. The big question is whether the legislative GOP will role over because Arnold and Perata tell them to do so.
6. The Governor is providing a reform. He wants a reserve fund established. This is a good thing. Except, he could have put it in the budget he sent to the legislature, but did not.
Last year he had a reserve fund in the budget, that lasted less than eight weeks from the time the budget was signed. So why should anybody believe having a reserve fund would work now?
He also wants to put a cap on spending. This from a Governor that has increased spending by 44% in five years. He doesn't need a cap on spending mandated by law. All he had to do is provide a budget that did not increase spending. And, if the Democrats increased the spending, he could veto it--which he didn't in any large number.
While some play petty politics, and others play with their power games, the people of California are about to fall into a fiscal abyss, thanks to Sacramento. We are in for tough times.
It is my hope the GOP provides a clean, balanced budget, with no gimmicks, tax, fees or spending.
Then let Ashburn vote on that, let the Democrats vote on that. Then vote on the Democrat/Arnold budget.
Then let the people see who wants to be fiscally responsible? Who do you think is right in this?
Never go to Steve Frank for facts.
Did Senator Ashburn tell you that, Steve?
A tax increase will hurt California's economy and will push california down a road that will make California more like Michigan.
The silver lining is that some individuals with courage are beginning to speak up and set forth why a tax increase would be an outrage.
Let us hope that the Republicans in the legislature will act to rescue Califiornia from the foolishness of a tax increase.
How can you refer to advocates for investment in adequate, 21st century transit systems as opposed to freeway projects out of a 1950s design manual as "Luddites?"
This report is inaccurate and misleading.
1. Senator Ashburn made his comments on the Inga Barks radio show yesterday, KERN Bakersfield
2. If this report is "inaccurate and Misleading" please point those out. Do not make radical statements without proof and showing where the facts are wrong.
Frankly speaking is right on with his comments.
Government has plenty of money, they just spend it pathetically. I have witnessed this first hand when I worked for the City of Ventura for 16.5 years. We cannot bleed the people continously for more money. We cannot do the same to business. It is already to expensive to do business here. Government has to learn to use financial resources that they have and stay within those financial resources.
What a laugh to see Steve Frank accuse another of "making radical statements". LOL!!!
Joe,
Good comments. How appropriate and valid coming from an ex-employee of the City of Ventura. This offers further proof that the City of Ventura wastes truckloads of money, year after year, and when it finds itself short, well, it just simply turns to the taxpayers to plug the gaps. Pathetic.
It is obvious that we need a new City Council in Ventura. One that it concerned about the common person in Ventura, not just the enviro-wackos or NIMBY's (like the building heights group or the anti-Wal-Mart group). Enough is enough!!!
Steve,
Can you please post the actual quotes from the Inga Barks Show? I listened and I never heard Ashburn mention being taken off of the Senate Rules Committee. In fact, I never heard him say that he was supportive of a tax increase.
It's these kinds of clueless rants that keep Republicans irrelevant in California. But I do appreciate the year that you spent working to get me elected -- it's conservatives like you that gave me credibility, at least for a little while.
If you want to hear it in his own words, the Roy Ashburn interview can be found here on the Flashreport http://www.flashreport.org/blog.php?postID=2008081114362205
You will find the interview in two parts. The Flashreport also gives the gory details of the Ashburn possible defection to the Democrats on tax policy.
From the Flashreport:
"When listening to this interview, I found a few parts to be instructive:
At about 2:40, in response to Inga's query about rumors that he is willing to vote for a tax increase, the Senator says, "I'm not sure what I will be willing to support or not support, it depends on the entire package."
At roughly 5:45 into the first segment, the Senator tells Inga that he is not so sure that what the Governor has introduced [the 1 cent increase in the state sales tax] is a tax increase. He says, and I quote: "We going to have to see what the total package is, Inga. What the Governor proposed I am not sure can be characterized as a tax increase."
The Senator argues through some twisted logic that a tax increase for three fulls years, followed by a tax cut, never raised taxes. We beg to differ -- ask anyone who would be paying higher taxes the next three years. And we have little faith that the legislature wouldn't find a way to stop any potential tax cut before it went into effect."
From the Budget Blog:
"Internal Capitol dynamics are also at play. When Senate GOP leader Dave Cogdill took over the caucus, he stripped Ashburn of his post as vice-chair of the Senate Rules Committee, a key leadership spot." http://www.thecaliforniaindex.org/blogengine.net/post/2008/08/Pickoff-target-Roy-Ashburn.aspx
So, yes, Ashburn is looking at this "slight"...of course he will not say it in public, that is why politics is so interesting. You need to know these people, work with them and then look at a newspaper and see what the reporter missed.
Too bad you feel conservatives giving facts are rants. Keep reading Frankly Speaking if you really want to know what is happening in Sacto.
Stevo,
When you refer to those that are in Sacramento the term Sac-ite is a good one to use.
P/S hows Clark's prison doing now! I think it's time pack it up and look elsewhere in the state.
P/S I hear all those in Camarillo are now being called Hillbillys.
Will see you guy.....