(California State)Senate Rejects Governor Schwarzenegger's Budget Plan

BakersFieldChannel ^ | DEc. 5, 2003 | BakersFieldChannel

[FairOpinion]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The state Senate has turned down Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget package. That leaves little possibility for a last-minute agreement as the clock ticks toward Friday's midnight deadline to put measures on the March ballot.

Senators vote 34-0 against the governor's plan to cap spending, with even Republicans voting no after the outcome became clear. The governor's bond measure also lost.

At the same time, counter proposals from Democrats failed to get the two-thirds majorities needed for passage.

Senate Republican leader Jim Brulte of Rancho Cucamonga is warning that Republicans will try to put an even tougher spending limit on the November ballot if the negotiations fail to produce a March ballot agreement.

Schwarzenegger wants voters to consider his idea for borrowing up to $15 billion to wipe out the state's existing deficit.

He also wants the Legislature to place a spending cap on the spring ballot.

[AmericanVictory]

Since the only other options are to raise taxes or actually begin to stop wasteful spending and enable revival of economic growth, maybe now Arnold will be amenable to considering actual solutions of the state's problems. Let's hope he breaks through his circle of advisors on the conventional wisdom and actually looks at the problems rather than having them "explained" to him.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

How about pinging those interested in this?

[FairOpinion]

"Now it's hard to go to the public and say Democrats, exclusively, voted to bankrupt California come summer of next year."

===

YOU get it. I get it. It seems none of the Republican in the CA Senate get it, and I don't see many others around here who get it. What's the matter with them?!

One tiny good news, if we can call it that, at least the assembly has a few Republicans with spines -- for a minute, but then they went ahead and spoiled it, by allowing the Dems proposals to pass, which is an even worse disaster to CA, than the current crisis, because it will allow them to raise taxes by simple majority

"Meanwhile, the Assembly Budget Committee also defeated the governor's proposals and blocked them from going to the floor. The spending cap lost 9-14, while the bond plan failed 10-15. Two counterproposals from Democrats were approved and are expected to be considered on the Assembly floor. "

This is from another article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20031205-2154-ca-statebudget.html

[LibertarianInExile]

Read, dude. You post the article, you should probably have done that.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Two counterproposals from Democrats were approved and are expected to be considered on the Assembly floor. "

Now Arnoold may get to use the Veto Pen!

[Sabertooth]

I don't understand...He's just REFINANCING THE EXISTING DEBT. What is so bad about that

Why do we have that debt?

Since 1998, the state has grown by 21% and revenues have grown by 28%. State spending increased by almost 37% during the same time period. We need to get our spending under control.
Arnold Schwarzenegger - joinarnold.com

We shouldn't refinance it, we should cut the spending. Spending is the problem.

[mysterio]

"What's wrong with the Republicans?!"

A socialist is a socialist under any party flag.

[Hildy]

But a debt is a debt. It has to paid, right? What am I missing? Spending cuts will help avoid FUTURE Debts, but nonetheless, this debt ain't going away. Please, explain this to me.

[FairOpinion]

"A socialist is a socialist under any party flag."

===

ALL the Republicans in the CA Senate?!

[FairOpinion]

PING

Republicans hand Dems resounding victory -- defeating Arnold's plan to rescue CA, by unanimous vote in the CA Senate.

More Republican "purity" at work, let the Dems win, than do the sensible thing.

[FairOpinion]

"Read, dude. You post the article, you should probably have done that."

===

I read it. What many people need to do, including the Republicans in the Legislature, is THINK! Apparently that is too much to expect.

[mysterio]

They are socialists, statists, spineless, or all three.

[FairOpinion]

"They are socialists, statists, spineless, or all three."

==

I think it's "all of the above" and I have a few additional choice words, but I just add: "throw ALL the bums out" in November!

[Salvation]

Go get 'em, Arnold!

[FairOpinion]

"all Americans would have to bail out CA when the bond would mature and CA wouldn't have any money to pay it."

===

Newsflash: CA has short term bonds due in June, which they can't pay, since this bond measure didn't pass. I guess CA will either go bankrupt in June, or Arnold raises taxes, or the Federal government bails CA out -- in any of these cases the Republicans can kiss CA goodbye for the next 30 years, which make the Dems, and I guess people, like you who really want to see the Dems in charge, very happy.

[Sabertooth]

But a debt is a debt. It has to paid, right? What am I missing?

Money is fungible. Politicians are forever telling us that we need to pass this or that bond and incur more debt for some dire emergency, or they'll cut vital services. They play the voters for chumps, and the voters usually oblige.

Meantime, the greed, theft, waste, and corruption of the political elites carries on, unabated.

The hell with them. There is no need to borrow money when they're wasting money.

They're bluffing, and I'm calling.

[Hildy]

I heard Arnold talking about this. He said it's ONLY refinancing. He's not a politician. He's not standing around waiting to hand out goodies. I believe him. He said it's the start of getting back on track. Consolodating and refinancing doesn't seem like such a bad idea to me.

[SteveH]

I have to imagine that there is a different explanation for the Republicans in the Senate voting against the bond.

We just don't know the strategy yet.

Brulte supported Arnold's candidacy.

Republicans only voted against when it was clear it would fail.

So there's a strategy, I think, or at least a rationale...

[FairOpinion]

The reason doesn't matter -- only the result.

The bottom line is that they handed a Dems a resounding victory, instead of making a stand.

As Jagermeister said, now the Republicans lost the issue, they can't say that the Dems were the ones who scuttled Arnold's rescue CA strategy, by voting with them.

[SteveH]

Meantime, the greed, theft, waste, and corruption of the political elites carries on, unabated.

The hell with them. There is no need to borrow money when they're wasting money.

They're bluffing, and I'm calling.

Totally agree!