Posted on 09/14/2003 8:07:48 PM PDT by sfwarrior
Sneaking up on us, with little media attention, is an 800-pound gorilla on the upcoming California special-election ballot, and it's even more powerful than Arnold. This October, you'll be able to vote for Proposition 53. It's a powerful contender that, if passed, will be felt by Californians long after the names Davis, Schwarzenegger and Bustamante are just distant memories. Proposition 53 promises to fundamentally and permanently change how Californians do business and may be a magic bullet to cure much of what ails our state.
The California Legislature placed this measure, which will set aside funds for state and local infrastructure, on the ballot with only four dissenting votes, sadly admitting that it simply lacks the fiscal discipline to fund basic infrastructure maintenance without a rigid Constitutional amendment.
Californians have noticed that while their taxes have increased astronomically, and will continue to go up to solve the $38 billion fiscal fiasco, the infrastructure has as the same time been crumbling. Our tax money is seemingly going down a toilet. Proposition 53 will remedy that problem permanently and painlessly.
Two of the major reasons many businesses leave the state are high taxes and the dire infrastructure. Power is inadequate; there have been only two new power plants built in the state during the last 30 years. Beaches are closed due to raw sewage in our oceans, state parks look pathetic, health services are in turmoil, our courts and prisons are overwhelmed, our higher education is no longer "higher," our transportation system is overcrowded and poorly maintained (in spite of a quadrupled Bay Area population in the last five decades, there have been no new transbay bridges built during that period) and our water resources are primarily relying on overtaxed systems built some 80 years ago. Welcome to California. You get all this, and higher taxes, too.
Now, one would have expected that a Democrat-controlled governor's office and Legislature would have figured this out some time ago and dealt with the problems. If it had, there might not even have been a recall. In large part, the recall movement is built on pent-up voter anger fueled by an out-of-control deficit that will end up costing Californians big time with increased taxes. Monies have been squandered on an energy debacle due, in large part, to a lack of our own state's energy resources and plant construction. With our natural resources, we shouldn't have to be buying energy from Enron.
The deficit was also at least partly related to huge salary increases for prison guards, sheriffs and other civil servants that far outpaced inflation and were made at a time of huge budget deficits. Why this brazen, outrageous fiscal mismanagement? Davis was busily converting state civil workers into his personal, mobile, statewide, campaign team.
Monies have also been squandered by our politicians for selfish political gain at the same time that our infrastructure is virtually ignored. If there's ever an infrastructure crisis like crumbling water mains at Hetch Hetchy or schools with leaking roofs, the politicos simply propose an expensive bond measure and let the voters decide. That's planning?
Other than some minor bridge widenings, the newest span over San Francisco Bay, the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge, was built some 50 years ago. That may explain the insufferable daily San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge backup. There's been much talk of a Southern Crossing, a new span that would alleviate Bay Bridge traffic, but you can be sure we'll have the Second Coming before we ever get the Southern Crossing.
Bonds have become the fiscal vehicle of choice for state legislators. The politicos don't have to plan for our future. They can wait for a crisis and then merely shuffle off the problem to voters. This happens at nearly every election, when we're faced with yet another confusing bond measure -- schools, parks, prisons, water resources, you name it. Just how many times did we vote for billions for school bonds in the last seven years? Isn't the lottery money also supposed to be a major funding source for education?
Bonds are also expensive. Taxpayers can easily pay double or triple the amount actually needed when considering compounded interest expenses, broker fees and other costs.
Proposition 53 will change all that. It will dedicate 1 percent of all state revenues to infrastructure maintenance and improvement. The fund will eventually go up to 3 percent of the state budget in about 10 years. This is a small but reasonable figure, and it's what Californians should have been doing all along. The measure...
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
This is obviously a liberally biased article as it omitted any mention of Tom Mcclintokc, the "real" conservative. lol!
Another concern I have with Prop 53 is that the legislature can lend money from the 3% back to the general fund.
Our politicians are doing the same thing to Oregon. Pretty soon you'll work for the State or you won't work at all up here.
Yeah, it's all over. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
I do know the gun stance of Lundgren(although he is pro-life) though when he flipped as Att. General.
I agree, there was no reason to add Mcclintock’s name as he’s far from being a contender. Be prepared, however, for the TomBots to hone in on that point and their remarks will not be in jest. And I did read it; good article. But as heleny has already pointed out, the RAT legislature will have control over how that money is spent. That being the case, don't count on it going to its intended use.
....and astronomical workman's comp, and paid "family leave", and enviro-wackiness, and regulations outs the kazoo, and (coming) forced health-care for employees, and....
This is not the first measure that points a wagging finger at the legislature. Prop 98 comes to mind. My concern is that these measures are unnecessary if the legislature is conducting their stewardship in a consciencious manner.
An additional concern with these mandated measures is also exemplified by Prop 98. It spauned an omnipotent stepchild, Prop 49. The mother has limited flexibility but the spaun has awsome power and requires the death of the mother to control it's mandated appetite.
Your comments please.
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