Posted on 09/19/2008 6:12:29 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Lawmakers closed a budget deal tonight that all had reason to dislike.
With Republicans still opposed, the Senate voted 22-14 and the Assembly 41-30 to approve the final fix of the long overdue package. Republican leaders supported the budget deal reached Thursday, but no GOP members voted for the bill.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is expected to sign the budget next week, said the spending plan is "an improvement" over earlier versions, but still fails to solve California's structural financial problems.
"Unfortunately the Legislature was unable to make the hard decisions to end our structural deficit, but this budget is an improvement of the earlier versions," he said. The Republican governor nevertheless plans to sign it next week, perhaps as early as Monday.
"Hospitals, nursing homes, day care services will be able to get paid...and California will be able to fulfill its obligations," said Schwarzenegger, who said he hopes to move on to make redistricting changes, reform the health care system and develop a statewide water plan.
"I don't see much of a signing ceremony, because there's nothing to celebrate," he said.
Schwarzenegger said he would support an initiative to penalize lawmakers when the budget is late.
"The one thing that I would look at right away is to create consequences so that when the Legislature is late one day there are consequences," he said. "Even after two months, you know, they are just very relaxed about it and in the meantime you cannot pay your bills. I think there's something wrong with that."
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
And with safe districts, there’s no penalty for their fiduciary malfeasance. Thank heavens for term limits.
Next year ought to be even better, since falling property values and slumping economic activity will result in less revenue to the state. Not to mention adding the new borrowing and deferred realizations of spending that this budget represents.
"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
Yeah...the next great bailout. If you think Lehman and AIG are bad...wait til CA goes under....
So all the California legislators hate Ahnold. That’s the 1st good thing I’ve ever heard about him as Governor. If all of the entrenched politicians hate him, he must be doing something right. Now if only he was Conservative and knew how to govern.
Government cannot create productive jobs, but it sure can destroy them!!!
Where are all the productive jobs created by the new GovernMental agency created by Arnold to screw with land use and private property improvement/development rights known as the Sierra-Nevada CONservancy???
Did they cut spending? I doubt it. At best, they probably just delayed spending a bit.
JoMa
Piss poor reporting and not factual. Here's the real trail of tears:
1) The legislative budget, as approved last week, was supported by a 2/3s majority, including Republicans.
2) Upon receipt of the news of the legislative proposal, the Austrian threatened a veto.
3) In response to the governor's threat, the legislature strengthened the rainy day provision of the original budget bill. This bill included Republican support.
4) An additional bill, required to eliminated the proposed short term borrowing from tax payers (a 10% increase in withholding) did not require super-majority approval and was only supported by Democrats. This is the bill referenced in "the Senate voted 22-14 and the Assembly 41-30 to approve the final fix", above.
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