Posted on 07/10/2008 7:43:24 AM PDT by SmithL
The day after unveiling $8.2 billion in proposed tax increases mostly on high-income earners and corporations, legislative Democrats on Wednesday said they have done all they can to trim the state budget without harming education and health care.
Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Karen Bass said they were drawing a line in the sand and would demand the tax increases be part of the solution to close a $15.2 billion shortfall in the $101 billion general fund.
Republicans, again, said the tax plan faced certain defeat because they would not supply the votes to reach the required two-thirds majority. Raising taxes, they said, would be a disaster for families struggling in a poor economy and could force businesses to flee the state.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, meanwhile, came down on both sides.
"You know, I have always been against tax increases," he said. "But I always want to keep everything on the table, because you cannot go into negotiations and say don't talk to me about this, don't talk to me about that. You have to be open-minded, and that's the only way you can get a compromise done. So I'm open-minded, but I'm against tax increases. All right?"
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger chats before leaving a ceremony Wednesday at the downtown railyard, where he announced the awarding of state bond funds for Sacramento development projects. Also Wednesday, he said he's against tax hikes to fund the state budget but that he'd negotiate over them with an open mind.
People will move as well as corporations. Then they will have NO ONE to fund their socialistic programs. Healthcare and education should be CUT and vouchers given. Frivolous lawsuits capped and then you will have affordable healthcare and educated instead of indoctrinated children. It's totally backwards.
Arnie should NEVER have been voted in.
Arnie has never met a tax hike he didn’t like.
I don’t live in California, and don’t ever want to. I hate the way that State is run. So I say tax anything that holds value, dead or alive. They need to learn the hard way about taxation and big government.
It’s time for that State to grow up. And taxing every penny out of anything of value, dead or alive, to the point that it crushes their economy would make them grow up real quick.
Sorry, California FReepers, but I don’t see any other solution for your state. It’s out of control. It’s time to let them fly off the cliff!!
“Budget standoff: That’s it for cuts, Dems say”
Can anyone identify a single cut?
You do understand that would mean the end of Free Republic, don't you?
Has Arnold been taking lessons from Kerry and Obama?
We FReepers in States like Florida won't let that happen. We'd support Jim through thick and thin to make sure that didn't happen.
I hate to say it, but that State is infested with big government socialists. It's just a matter of time before that State collapses under the heavy hand of socialism.
Castrated long ago by his Kennedy-clan wife, Ahhnold never had a chance to be anything but a weepy RINO. The left will now begin the standard threats of cutting police/fire/ambulance/garbage service because of the evil republicans and their refusal to tax the evil rich. In the mean time, millions will continue to be squandered on pet leftist projects buried conveniently burried in budgets every year. It’s called politics as usual. Frankly, I can think of no one more deserving than those who inhabit the Peoples Republic of California. Any group that would continue to elect Boxer, Feinstein and Newsome deserves anything it gets.
Take home pay?
A cut to a dem is when a program is increasing at 8% a year and you only budget for a 4% increase the next year.
I just hope they save the poor and starving teachers...and Rats please give them some more benefits and why not just double their pensions while you’re at it ...along with all their other special state workers....give them EVERYTHING!
Since when has that bothered 'rats? "Could" force businesses (and taxpayers) to leave? Hell, I did, and am so glad the corrupt state I was born in will get not a penny more from me.
What a tragedy California has become, from the glory of the past to a socialist failure.
That's a keeper.............
When Kalifornia shuts down the registry of law-abiding gun owners like myself due to lack of funds and eliminates the other anti-gun laws which create an economic burden on me, then I might believe that they really have a problem. Until then, those on the public payroll will just have to run the risk of not getting paid or losing their pensions.
It really is just as simple as that.
Our entire nation is coming to this. And the dumb masses will vote in socialists because they need bailouts from the dumb socialist policies. Self-perpetuating cycle and this time, it’s not just California, it is all of us being made poorer and footing the bill for the irresponsible. Times will change though but I doubt the remedy is something we are all going to like.
CA is the only state in the Union? Since when?
Absolutely!
Why we should turn over our paychecks to them and go on welfare to show our appreciation. LOL!
We need school vouchers and the closing of ALL government schools. It's too broken to be fixed. It's an endless drain of money. Kids are getting dumber. Lowering standards and indoctrinating them is giving us a scary future. They're proud ignoramuses.
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