At 72, Brown is returning to a third term as California governor after a hiatus of 28 years to face a $26 billion budget deficit and an unemployment rate above 12 percent. So is it to be more taxes, more government, both or neither?
Both conservatives and liberals agree that Brown will probably do what California's progressive voters elected him to do: keep government and its services big and find the necessary revenue from corporations and more affluent individuals to pay for it. The real debate is over whether he can pull that off in recessionary times.
Conservatives believe he cannot. They argue that the California model of huge public-sector salaries and pensions, high taxes, intrusive government and unchecked illegal immigration is unsustainable, and a prescription for Third World-like chaos and poverty. In this pessimistic view, California is just a year or two behind Greece and Portugal, but without a Germany to bail it out -- especially now, with a tight-fisted Republican-led House that soon may cut off federal subsidies to a now-insolvent California.
#1
I think Brown (and trust me I am not a fan) has few options. He will have to cut spending AND raise taxes. I work for the state and we were told to expect a 10% reduction in personnel. The unions have already agreed to a pay cut of 8% for the next 4 years. Not sure where he is going to raise taxes (err fees) but I will bet on cars, liquor, cigs, and other sinful pursuits.
#2
alcohol + tobacco currently are only about 1% of Cal revenue
looks like education gobbles up about 40% of the entire budget by itself
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
12/02/2010 15:00 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Car tax. Heh, heh. You don't even have to buy a car to get taxed on the car you already own. Every year in this state you have to "renew" your car's registration with the DMV for no other reason than to provide the state with a very substantial revenue stream. The police and CHP are pretty quick to write you a ticket if your registration isn't current too. They can raise the "registration fee" any time they want although they might want to remember that is one of the reasons why we recalled former Gov. Gray Davis.
As for education, I think it's fair to say that anywhere from one-third to one-half of our education budget is spent on the children of illegal aliens. Not only do they cost a lot of money but they slow things down for the legal kids because they can't speak English. Our school authorities are prohibited by law from asking about their citizenship.
Your apologists and bleeding hearts will ask how we could refuse to educate these kids. They will claim that if we don't educate them they will be out on the streets, unemployable and causing trouble. My response is they wouldn't be causing trouble on our streets if we deported them. They wouldn't be uneducated if the Mexican government would educate them.
Although I don't believe it is outside the realm of possibility that Brown will cut spending, I know that his loyalties and sympathies will always be with the unions and the illegals because those are the people who contributed to his campaign and voted for him.
It may be unscientific but the way I gauge unemployment and out-migration from this state is to look at the traffic on the freeway. I thought it was getting lighter for a while but recently it seems to have gotten worse. It's still a nightmare on Interstate 5. If you're gonna leave this state then hurry up and go so they don't have to widen it.
#4
When it comes to cuts, what say we start with all the various Boards and Commissions that have no real purpose except for entitling termed-out ex-legislators to $190k/year for attending 3-4 meetings.
If we're serious, I mean. And I doubt that we are, yet.
#5
I don't intend to remain in the state of my birth and spend my hard earned retirement (What's left of it) educating the children of Undocumented Democrats.
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At 72, Brown is returning to a third term as California governor after a hiatus of 28 years to face a $26 billion budget deficit and an unemployment rate above 12 percent. So is it to be more taxes, more government, both or neither?
