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How Gov. Brown Ruined California in His First Term
Townhall.com ^ | May 25, 2012 | Mike Editorial

Posted on 05/15/2012 8:06:39 AM PDT by Kaslin

California, like Greece is perpetually in fiscal trouble. Overoptimistic revenue forecasts coupled with spending $2 billion more than expected has California in a deep hole. Governor Jerry Brown has the same non-solution as ever, hike taxes.

Brown wants a "temporary" (as in seven years) tax hike. Given we all know there are no such things as temporary tax hikes in California (seven years is permanent enough in the first place), and also given the California school budget needs an axe, I say let him.

Please consider California deficit has soared to $16 billion, Gov. Jerry Brown says

Gov. Jerry Brown announced on Saturday that the state's deficit has ballooned to $16 billion, a huge increase over his $9.2-billion estimate in January.

Lawmakers and others were hoping that a rebounding economy would help the state avoid steep cuts to social services. But revenue in April, the most important month of the year for income taxes, fell far short of expectations, leading to a shortfall of at least $3 billion in the current fiscal year.

The state has also spent $2.1 billion more than expected, according to the controller, further worsening California's financial health.

Advocates involved in budget discussions say they expect deeper cuts to social services than Brown originally proposed in January. Union officials are also in negotiations with administration officials about ways to reduce state payroll costs, an issue that wasn't on the table earlier this year.

Brown has said there will be even deeper cuts, mostly to public education, if voters do not improve tax hikes in November. He is seeking a quarter-cent increase in the state sales tax for four years and a seven-year hike on incomes of $250,000 or more that will range from 1 to 3 percentage points. He says the measure would raise $9 billion in the upcoming budget year.
Tax Hikes, Public Unions, and Union Sympathizers Hand-in-Hand

Whenever tax hikes are on the table, union supporters are at the front of the line demanding them.

Yahoo!News has additional details in California facing higher $16 billion shortfall

Under Brown's tax plan, California would temporarily raise the state's sales tax by a quarter-cent and increase the income tax on people who make $250,000 or more. Brown is projecting his tax initiative would raise as much as $9 billion, but a review by the nonpartisan analyst's office estimates revenue of $6.8 billion in fiscal year 2012-13.

Supporters of the "Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act of 2012" say the additional revenue would help maintain current funding levels for public schools and colleges and pay for programs that benefit seniors and low-income families. It also would provide local governments with a constitutional guarantee of funding to comply with a new state law that shifts lower-level offenders from state prisons to county jails.

A second tax hike headed for the November ballot is being promoted by Los Angeles civil rights attorney Molly Munger, whose initiative would raise income taxes on a sliding scale for nearly all wage-earners to help fund schools.

Anti-tax groups and Republican lawmakers say both tax increases will hurt California's economic recovery. State GOP Chairman Tom Del Beccaro has embarked on a statewide campaign to discuss alternatives to Brown's tax hikes.

The governor is expected to propose a contingency plan with a list of unpopular cuts that would kick in automatically if voters reject tax hikes this fall. In January, he said they would result in a K-12 school year shortened by up to three weeks, higher college tuition fees and reduced funding for courts.
Expect to hear Armageddon chants from public unions immediately if not sooner.

How Brown Ruined California in His First Term

Bear in mind that Governor Brown helped ruin California with public union collective bargaining rights in his first stint as governor, in the 70's.


California schools and taxpayers are perpetually in the hole because of Brown's idiocy decades ago.

Four Point Solution

Fixing the problem is easy to describe, but hard to implement given all the union sympathizers who want to further wreck the state.

  1. California needs to end collective bargaining of public unions
  2. California needs to claw back promised pension benefits
  3. California needs to end all defined benefit plans for public employees
  4. California needs to scrap prevailing wage laws that have crucified cities

Raising taxes will just cause the exodus of more corporations and highly salaried workers as noted in California Tax Revenues Plunge; Businesses Exit "Taxifornia" in Droves; Piecing Together the Jobs-Picture Puzzle

Taxed to Death

If Brown continues to suck up to the public unions responsible for the mess California is in, expect still more businesses to leave, expect the unemployment rate to rise, and expect a continued plunge in revenue.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Editorial; Government; US: California
KEYWORDS: california; governormoonbeam; jerrybrown
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1 posted on 05/15/2012 8:06:44 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
Brown wants a "temporary" (as in seven years) tax hike.

I recall when the first Illinois "Tollway" was built. We were told the tolls would be used to pay for the project, and would disappear in 5 years. Decades later, we're still paying them, and, boy, have they gone up.

2 posted on 05/15/2012 8:12:36 AM PDT by bcsco
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To: Kaslin
Brown should have run like hell from the mess he created in this state.

Like a firebug the fool returned to the scene of the crime to watch the state burn. Now he'll preside over the collapse.

3 posted on 05/15/2012 8:16:14 AM PDT by skeeter
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To: Kaslin

Democrats are insane. Brown is an example. He won the election with the help of communists rats spinning the most vial crap against Meg. She would have probably used her ebay business experience brought back fiscal programs that might have saved California. California is beyond hope with the MSM and the Hollywood nuts pushing communists/Marxist/socialists I don’t see how it can ever survive.


4 posted on 05/15/2012 8:18:04 AM PDT by Logical me
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To: Logical me
I think that, eventually, Meg will be happy that she lost the election.

She would not have been able to change anything if she had won. The dem’s in the state house would have seen to that. But she still would have gotten all the blame for the eventual collapse.

5 posted on 05/15/2012 8:22:17 AM PDT by Leaning Right (Why am I carrying this lantern? you ask. I am looking for the next Reagan.)
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To: Kaslin

Don’t ya just love it when what goes around comes around?

Can you believe that the people of CA, not satisfied with the damage Moonbeam did during his first stint as Governor, would give him another shot at it? WTF....???? Did they think the zebra’s stripes had changed??

I think Jerry’s caught in the headlights of that train to nowhere. Perhaps Linda Ronstadt will do a fund raiser concert that nobody will come to.


6 posted on 05/15/2012 8:22:26 AM PDT by O6ret
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To: skeeter

Brown presiding over the collapse may just be his goal.

And he can get away with blaming someone else.

And he can get a crisis to take advantage of.

Sounds like our halfrican dictator.


7 posted on 05/15/2012 8:22:26 AM PDT by Texas resident (November 6 - Vote Against obama)
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To: Kaslin
Its like those WWII, 2 story buildings I studied in lived in and served out of, Some were still in use in the eighty's.
8 posted on 05/15/2012 8:23:13 AM PDT by mongo141 (Revolution ver 2.0, just a matter of when, not a matter of if!)
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To: Kaslin

Calif is actually 35 billion in the hole when you factor in illegal alien give aways and hidden cost within the base line economic phony bookeeping. Brown was and is a fool and a crook.


9 posted on 05/15/2012 8:25:02 AM PDT by jetson
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To: Kaslin
Wow!

Kalifornistan better speed up building that high speed rail line so the passenger revenues from it can help balance their budget!

Do I really need a /sarcasm tag?

10 posted on 05/15/2012 8:30:46 AM PDT by N. Theknow (Kennedys=Can't drive, can't ski, can't fly, can't skipper a boat, but they know what's best for you.)
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To: bcsco
And speaking of the IL Tollway Authority, let's not forget I-Pass. I-Pass is a transponder that goes on your car. It allows the registrant to zoom through the toll plaza without stopping as the toll is subtracted from your I-Pass account balance.

Now, here's the dirty little secrets about I-Pass. At the time of registration for I-Pass you have to open an account for your I-Pass with the state and pay into it a certain amount to fund your debits as you motor through the toll plazas. When your I-Pass account gets to a certain level, the state “reminds” you to fill ‘er up or pay the full toll at the manual lanes (currently TWICE the toll the I-Pass owner pays).

How well does I-Pass work? During its first 18 months of operation, I-Pass transponders were not recognized by the toll plazas and and about 50 percent of the then I-Pass users were sent tickets for not paying at the toll plazas (license plates were dutifully recorded by the “scofflaw” cameras there and tickets were mailed out). After convincing the authorities it was their toll plaza equipment that was malfunctioning, the tickets were rescinded and I-Pass got fixed. However, nonusers of I-Pass still are nailed twice the toll rate that I-Pass users pay to use the same roads.

11 posted on 05/15/2012 8:38:37 AM PDT by MasterGunner01 (11)
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To: MasterGunner01

We have I-Pass on our two vehicles. While we don’t travel the tollways a lot, it saves us paying double the fee, so over time it’ll be something of a savings. Especially after the fees doubled a year or so ago.


12 posted on 05/15/2012 8:51:50 AM PDT by bcsco
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To: Leaning Right
I think that, eventually, Meg will be happy that she lost the election.

She would not have been able to change anything if she had won. The dem’s in the state house would have seen to that. But she still would have gotten all the blame for the eventual collapse.

Expand that phenomenon to a national scale and you'll see what will happen if Romney wins in November. The GOPe won't want to rock the boat and will only keep kicking the can down the road, and the DemocRATs are salivating at the possibility of declaring "Well, it's Romney's economy now!"

13 posted on 05/15/2012 8:54:37 AM PDT by COBOL2Java (FUMR)
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To: O6ret
Can you believe that the people of CA, not satisfied with the damage Moonbeam did during his first stint as Governor, would give him another shot at it? WTF....???? Did they think the zebra’s stripes had changed??

The vast majority of voters in this state weren't here during Brown's last term. They were yet to be born, or in the third world where socialism is considered de rigour.

14 posted on 05/15/2012 9:04:48 AM PDT by skeeter
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To: Kaslin

5.California needs to stop all entitlements to illegals


15 posted on 05/15/2012 9:18:14 AM PDT by Vaduz
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To: Kaslin

never have so many worked so hard to destroy a state and its citizenry and their businesses in quest of golden eggs and green shoots.

from energy deregulation to excessive business regulations, from dumbing down a population of mushheads and elevating an army of misguided enviroweinies in its place.. one can only beg the question. what is the end game? a return to the dark ages? anything less seems to excite few on the left.


16 posted on 05/15/2012 9:23:27 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi)
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To: Kaslin

I prefer Brown over Meg Whitman. She would have been a horrible governor, IMO.


17 posted on 05/15/2012 9:27:57 AM PDT by GSWarrior
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To: Kaslin

Like an alcoholic or drug addict, California will not change it’s ways until they hit rock bottom. And like most alcoholics or drug addicts, it will be too late.


18 posted on 05/15/2012 9:32:32 AM PDT by Drill Thrawl (The United States of America, a banana republic since 1913)
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To: Kaslin

My goal is to defeat the insanity of Keyensian Economics in “both” of our very sorry political parties THIS YEAR!

This can be accomplished by choosing a stellar Dark Horse Nominee, such as R-Rep. West of Florida, to slaughter Obama in a November Landslide.

The key is to FORCE the GOP-E to allow for an OPEN Convention in Tampa. Without an OPEN Convention the SOS of INSANE Federal Spending will keep America on the same crowded track with Greece, and Kalifornia.

There are over 15, 000, 000, 000, 000 reasons why spending more money this year than was taken in during the previous year is an INSANE path to financial destruction.

Neither Obama or Romney have presented a plan to spend our Federal dollars in a non-insane manner.

For example, the GOP Elite have stood in line to endorse Romney, endorse “The Ryan Budget,” and compromise-away every opportunity to reduce Federal Spending.

I included the Ryan Budget, because Rep. Paul Ryan himself says that his “Budget” will balance in 30 YEARS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BTW, I added those exclamation points, because both you and I know that Ryan’s budget will NEVER balance, and thus never be a fact. The exclamation points are just for volume emphasis.


19 posted on 05/15/2012 9:45:40 AM PDT by Graewoulf ((Dictator Baby-Doc Barack's obama"care" violates Sherman Anti-Trust Law, AND U.S. Constitution.))
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To: Logical me

Meg Whitman is a rotten globalist. The republican party keeps running rino globalists and that’s why they keep losing in this state.


20 posted on 05/15/2012 9:58:28 AM PDT by hedgetrimmer
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