Posted on 07/28/2007 1:32:20 AM PDT by bruinbirdman
Partisan, debt-ridden and reckless
CALIFORNIANS like to think of their state as a democratic laboratory, busily inventing ideas that are copied elsewhere. When it comes to budgeting, though, the rest of the world should follow almost any other example. As The Economist went to press, the legislature was debating a budget that one senator described as having been written by chimpanzees. It is almost a month overdue. By California's standards, this is pretty good going.
Republicans are causing the delay, as in the past. Ignoring pleas from Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor, Assembly members won some spending cuts and tax breaks. Then, while they hit the beaches, state senators demanded further cuts. Last week, in order to try to end the debate, the Democratic Senate president locked them in. Senators lounged around like teenagers at an all-night party, amusing themselves by sending messages to conservative blogs. “To update you—we've done nothing,” wrote one. They want a mixture of real and symbolic sacrifices—less money for environmental litigation and trade-union studies, for example.
Republican politicians are digging in their heels over the budget for two reasons. The first is that they can. California is one of only three states (the others are Arkansas and Rhode Island) that require a two-thirds vote in both houses of the legislature to approve a budget. Republicans are pushed around when it comes to legislation: since 1970 they have controlled the state Senate for just two years and the Assembly not at all. During the annual budget negotiations they take their revenge.
The second reason is ideological. California's districts are so shamelessly gerrymandered that hardly any races are competitive. The elections that matter are the primaries, which are dominated by zealots. The result is a political system in which moderation is punished, both by voters and by other politicians. Dick Ackerman, head of the Senate Republican caucus, adopted a co-operative, pragmatic approach to last year's budget negotiations. The result was a putsch that nearly dislodged him. Chastened, he promised to take a tougher line on this year's budget.
Republican spines are further stiffened by conservative bloggers such as Tom Del Beccaro and Jon Fleischman. Most bloggers rant and rave outside the gates, but in California they hold positions of power within the party: Mr Fleischman is the vice-chairman for southern California.
It would be nice to report that a small band of hard-nosed Republicans was bringing fiscal restraint to California. Unfortunately, it isn't true. Republicans have been better at pushing for tax cuts than at balancing the budget. This year the state spent a higher proportion of Californians' incomes than it has for more than a decade. And, having approved tens of billions of dollars-worth of bonds to pay for everything from stem-cell research to road mending, it is racking up ever more debt.
The Republicans are right about one thing: California's finances are a mess. Thanks to cuts in property rates, the state depends on personal income taxes for 46% of its revenues, more than in all but seven states. And because its taxes are so progressive, it relies especially heavily on the fortunes of the rich. “If the bottom drops out of the stockmarket, the bottom drops out of the budget,” says Jean Ross of the California Budget Project. Partisan posturing, debt and financial gambling: no way to run the world's eighth-largest economy.
Wasn’t it about ten years ago that the Republicans finally won control of the legislature but one scumbag Republican decided to caucus with the rats and keep Willie Brown as leader and the rats in control?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Yes. And Willie Brown is perhaps the worst California political figure in California’s history.
I wouldn’t argue with that, but I would add that state commissions and the land grabbing environmentalist movements be defunded as well. The state and federal government pour money into these efforts and property rights suffer.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
One of the best things we could do is limit the legislative session to about 45 days per year. Smaller government is better. Tiny government is best.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
CA is broke. By the time you factor in the health care for retired state workers and the growing underclass tax consumers it will get worse.
The can’t tax their way out of it..taxes are too high already. The state is unattractive to most business.
The Economist blames the Republicans for trying to hold the line..without them the state would plunge even faster.
It is the Golden State no more. It is a Third world country..rich and really poor.
Slashing how the state spends money would be the first sensible action. I found it laughable that one of the few things that isn’t a union, the state lottery commission, is facing huge pressure to be reorganized so that more money can be fed into the school systems.
I lived in San Diego in the late 70s. It was close to paradise then. Went out to Ranch Bernardo on business recently and took a look around - California has been lost. The rest of America should take note.
Ranch = Rancho
Could you elaborate a bit? It seems interesting. Thanks.
LLS
Excellent suggestion! End Welfare (aka state employees) and get out of my paycheck, Nunez et al.
Biggest thing that comes to mind is the school system. As I remember, the San Diego public schools were among the nation’s best in the late 70s. My understanding is that political correctness considerations have basically driven them into the toilet. Immigration, very largely illegal, has totally changed the political landscape - just ask B-1 Bob Dornan. Great sport when I was there consisted largely of visiting friends in Chula Vista, sitting on their patios consuming adult beverages and watching the INS attempt to round up the constant parade of illegals hoofing it up the dry riverbed heading north.
I agree... and did you know Mississippi (my home State) has the highest per capita illegal population in the Nation? I understand far too well. We need to eliminate any reason these invaders find for staying here!
LLS
Thanks, I was unaware of that. Byproduct of Katrina, or has this been going on for a while down there? I spent several weeks in Pascagoula in 2004 at the shipyard, but didn’t get out much.
I think it is a little of both.
LLS
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