California Democrats bid for two-thirds control of state Senate

Sacramento Bee ^ | 5/28/12 | Torey Van Oot

[SmithL]

Bill Berryhill's pitch to voters at a recent candidates forum came down to more than just his positions on issues affecting San Joaquin County's 5th Senate District.

It was about the balance of power in the Capitol.

"Do you realize if one party gets sole power, you think you're taxed to the max now? Guess what? You better grab your wallet, because they only have one way to go and that's to tax and spend, tax and spend," the Republican assemblyman told the crowd at Tracy's Kimball High.

Berryhill is running in one of a handful of newly drawn swing seats that will determine whether Democrats capture a supermajority in the upper house for the first time since 1965.

Senate Democrats need just two seats to hit the 27-vote threshold, and they have a good shot under the state's new political maps. The pick-up potential for Democrats this year is high enough that Republicans sought to have the districts thrown out via the courts and backed a referendum, which has qualified for the November ballot.

A sweep of the swing seats up for grabs this year could give Democrats a supermajority in the Senate through the better part of the decade.

Democrats also are two seats away from two-thirds in the Assembly, but experts doubt they can pick up those districts this year. With fewer opportunities based on the maps, observers say it's tough to handicap future races until the first run of the state's new primary system is complete.

For Democrats, supermajority control could put an end to years of often unsuccessful negotiations with the minority party over taxes, constitutional amendments and other issues that require a two-thirds vote.

[SmithL]

[Menehune56]

The California death spiral accelerates.

[rod1]

Might as well gift it to Mexico. I am pretty sure they could run the place better than the Over-ripe Moonbeam and his RAT Compadres.

[WashingtonSource]

If Obama goes down in flames in November, even California Commiecrats will not be immune to losses. The bloom is off the rose for the demented Brown administration. Indeed, its rotting corpse is stinking up Sacramento even above the usual stench from the brain-dead Zombies in the legislature.

[Brilliant]

Two thirds majority will make it official that the Democrats have dictatorial power in California. The truth is that they already do, but it’s not official.

[Baynative]

People who remain in California in denial of what is coming are likely to lose it all. There may be little enclaves of prosperity in Brentwood and Santa Clara, but what has happened over the last 15 years is only the beginning. Those who can't accept the truth are likely to hit the bottom real hard. If real estate values appear to repair in the near future, the thing to would be sell and find a way out.

[alloysteel]

Is it possible to expel California from the United States, leaving the option open for anyone who does not find the current state of affairs acceptable, to relocate in some part of the remaining states they find more congenial?

Of course, to emigrate to the United States, they will have to submit to a background check to determine they are not some kind of agent for spreading the established ideology of that rogue state.

[umgud]

If the dems do get a 2/3 majority there would be nothing to stop them from writting any tax increase. Would they actually do it? Do bears ........... in the woods?

[Jim Noble]

Conservatives should unite behind the Democrats to make this happen.

Your Republicans in the Assembly and Senate have failed. Let the RATs do what they want. Then they will own the catastrophe completely.

[Drew68]

Senate Democrats need just two seats to hit the 27-vote threshold, and they have a good shot under the state's new political maps.

I hope the Dems win. Then they'll have nobody but themselves to blame while California serves as a stellar example of Democrat failure to the rest of the country.

[freekitty]

Hey CA you have always be a trend setter. Why not go really conservative?

[bossmechanic]

Self destruct on steroids.

[From The Deer Stand]

If Obama goes down in flames in November, even California Commiecrats will not be immune to losses. The bloom is off the rose for the demented Brown administration. Indeed, its rotting corpse is stinking up Sacramento even above the usual stench from the brain-dead Zombies in the legislature.

And that's putting it nicely!

[bossmechanic]

And if Obumo and his fairy band of miscreants stays in power, California will be declared “to big to fail”....
wanna bet?

[Menehune56]

If the dems do get a 2/3 majority there would be nothing to stop them from writting any tax increase. Would they actually do it? Do bears ........... in the woods?

I think Californians can very quickly kiss Prop. 13 goodbye. The libs have always regarded it as the main impediment to fully funding their precious welfare state. I wonder what that will do for property values...

[Inspectorette]

The thing about Prop. 13 is that most of the people who benefited from it have either died or moved away. Mr. Inspectorette and I were covered by it when we lived in California, having bought the house brand new in 1975. Our property taxes were ridiculously low: less than $500/year. However, when we sold it in 2005, the new owner's taxes were estimated at $4745/yr. (1% of the sale price of the house.

The house sold again about a year ago, for $195,000, therefore that new owner would be paying $1975/year in prop. taxes.

[Carry_Okie]

I think Californians can very quickly kiss Prop. 13 goodbye.

Do that and kiss the banks goodbye, nationwide.

[Clintonfatigued]

I’m sure glad that I got out of California. The state already has long-term structural budget problems, partly because so many entrepeuners and middle class parents (usually Republicans) have moved away and taken their taxable incomes with them.

[Truth29]

The California Dems are betting on Obama being reelected and then using him to tap the rest of us for their endless spending.

[tflabo]

If Obama goes down in flames in November, even California Commiecrats will not be immune to losses.

Not so sure---look at the 2010 GOP historic election gains. Did it pick up any seats in Ca? I dont think so! We're talking Kookifornia loony toons as voters mostly.