Two weeks after ABC's Laura Marquez blamed California's budget deficit on an “unwillingness to raise taxes” tied to 1978's Proposition 13 “mandating an almost unachievable two-thirds vote by the legislature to raise taxes,” on Tuesday night she repeated herself as she lamented “education and social services continue to end up on the chopping block” because “it's a lot easier to make cuts than it is to raise taxes” since Prop 13 requires “the approval of two-thirds of the legislature to raise taxes, a virtual impossibility.”
In fact, though personal income tax collections “dropped 14% last year,” a May 19 Wall Street Journal article noted they “soared 70% from 2002 to 2007.”
World News anchor Charles Gibson emphasized the victims in teasing the upcoming story: “Governor Schwarzenegger's dire warning to California: The poor, the hungry, the very young -- all facing painful cuts.”
Marquez fretted:
His proposed cuts would be extremely painful -- $5 billion stripped from education, one million low-income children dropped from public health care, half a million families thrown off welfare, and hundreds of state parks closed. And that's just the beginning. Education and social services continue to end up on the chopping block for one simple reason: In California, it's a lot easier to make cuts than it is to raise taxes. Thirty years ago, voters passed Proposition 13, which required the approval of two-thirds of the legislature to raise taxes, a virtual impossibility.
My May 19 NewsBusters post: “ABC Regrets California's 'Unwillingness to Raise Taxes,'” relayed how columnist George Will pointed out in a May 3 column what Marquez omitted [in both her May 19 and June 2 stories] -- that the state government has hardly been starving for money: “If, since 1990, state spending increases had been held to the inflation rate plus population growth, the state would have a $15 billion surplus instead of a $42 billion budget deficit.” In addition, in Arnold “Schwarzenegger's less than six years as Governor, per capita government spending, adjusted for inflation, has increased nearly 20 percent.”
The MRC's Brad Wilmouth corrected the closed-captioning against the video to provide this transcript of the story on the Tuesday, June 2 World News on ABC:
CHARLES GIBSON: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered a blunt message today in the face of a deepening budget crisis. With the state's deficit now more than $24 billion, the governor came out swinging, challenging lawmakers to face up to the difficult cuts ahead, and to change the way they do business. Here's Laura Marquez.LAURA MARQUEZ: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger summoned all his powers of persuasion today.
GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R-CA): California's day of reckoning is here. Our wallet is empty, our bank is closed, and our credit is dried up.
MARQUEZ: His proposed cuts would be extremely painful – $5 billion stripped from education, one million low-income children dropped from public health care, half a million families thrown off welfare, and hundreds of state parks closed. And that's just the beginning. Education and social services continue to end up on the chopping block for one simple reason: In California, it's a lot easier to make cuts than it is to raise taxes. Thirty years ago, voters passed Proposition 13, which required the approval of two-thirds of the legislature to raise taxes, a virtual impossibility. With the prospect of the state running out of cash, some are asking: Could there be relief in the form of a federal bailout?
PROFESSOR BRUCE CAIN, UC BERKELEY: In the end, I don't think the federal government can turn its back on California because it's so large.
MARQUEZ: Maybe so, but reality is knocking at the door. And there's no way to avoid the pain that lies ahead. Laura Marquez, ABC News, San Francisco.
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Surprise! No New Taxes!
June 3, 2009 - 09:12 ET by MAS1916Making someone else pay for one's pet programs has been a governmental staple in CA for generations. The only surprise is how long this took to come home to roost.
There are some really strange and silly taxation ideas being floated now - some disguised as 'user fees.' ( for a top ten list of some of the silliest taxation ideas, you can view: http://firstconservative.com/blog/political-humor/political-humor-creative-taxation )
The bottom line though, is that government has to stop spending and make the same sorts of cuts that families are making. One way California can make a huge step in that direction is to cease funding programs for illegal aliens.. The billions that would save would go an awfully long way to getting the state back in balance.
Which is a consequence of
June 3, 2009 - 09:58 ET by dscottWhich is a consequence of both the CA government and CA Supreme Court who rejected the voter initiative to stop all funding for illegal aliens. The arrogance of the elite to demand their continued spending on people who are not citizens forcing the citizens to pay for that spending. That is illegal and the court knew it. Taxation without representation is illegal. The Rule of Law in the US is a farce. Spending tax dollars raised from citizens on those who are not citizens against their express wishes is illegal. Now the CA citizenry is rectifying the arrogance of the government elites.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.
We voted down his taxes
June 3, 2009 - 09:12 ET by RogerCfromSDWe voted down his taxes specifically because we want him to cut ILLEGAL ALIEN spending programs. He and his Donk ilk are so predictable.
A nation cannot be free without a free, unbiased media. We are not free.
Now If Only the Fed Would See The Same Logic
June 3, 2009 - 10:32 ET by HoosierEmI have heard figures of $300 to $400 billion per year is what is spent for the care of illegal aliens in this country. If this is true, isn't this the cause of many of our budgetary and deficit problems in this country, which then trickles down to states and local governments?
I live in a sanctuary city where we don't pay state taxes but our real estate and school taxes are ridiculously high and have gone up 30% in the last year when supposedly the value of our real estate has gone down. We are paying to educate (and probably feed) the children of illegal aliens.
The parasite class has
June 3, 2009 - 10:00 ET by fitzfongThe parasite class has finally bled the State of California dry. But their appetite for other peoples' money is insatiable, so they won't simply lay down and die...they'll just move on to a much bigger host...the Federal Government. There's no telling what they'll do once they've tapped out the resources of taxpayers from all 50 States. Maybe they'll attach themselves to the Chinese.
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." -Winston Churchill
Hostage situation
June 3, 2009 - 10:25 ET by KC MulvilleIf a kidnapper held a hostage and threatened to kill her, would a reporter frame his report to highlight all the damage that the hostage would suffer if we didn't give the kidnapper what he wants?
That's precisely the moral deceit of any terrorist or hostage situation. The kidnapper claims that the moral outrage is on allowing him to kill, rather than admitting that the true outrage is his own behavior.
The people of California did nothing wrong in making it difficult to raise taxes. They essentially warned the political class that they would only spend so much money, and despite that, the political class spent much much more. They were told not to do it. They did it anyway. Now, they hold public services hostage, and claim that unless the taxpayers do what they demand, they'll kill the services. It's a hostage situation.
“Governor
June 3, 2009 - 10:43 ET by MikeB“Governor Schwarzenegger's dire warning to California: The poor, the hungry, the very young -- all facing painful cuts.”
In that case, perhaps the poor and the hungry will finally have an incentive to get off their asses, get jobs, and feed their very young, and perhaps stop breeding like rabbits.
When the parasites start producing, the tax revenues will increase, thereby reducing/eliminating their budget deficit.
Those unfortunates who are unable (not unwilling) to work can still be helped by charities.
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
we have the best "poor" and "hungry" people in CA
June 3, 2009 - 18:54 ET by UndercoverConservative"poor" folks with two cars per family, "hungry" weighing in at over 200 pounds. "poor" kids with minibikes and scooters, iPods, cellphones and Air Jordan's. Because it's "traumatic" for kids to not "fit in with their peers"..their "peers" apparently being either the children of dot com millionaires or movie stars, apparently.
WWW.GS2AC.COM. 2nd Amendment Grass Roots Action in the Bay Area, CA. We're not all "Breakfast Cereal" folks here! :)
Well good - here's some more cuts that California can make..
June 3, 2009 - 10:44 ET by Gary HallThe cost to one county (not counrty, mind you)!
March, 2008 -- “Illegal immigration continues to have a devastating impact Los Angeles County taxpayers,” said Antonovich [a Los Angeles County supervisor]. “With $220 million for public safety, $400 million for healthcare, and $420 million in welfare allocations, the total cost for illegal immigrants to County taxpayers far exceeds $1 billion a year – not including the millions of dollars for education.”
The LA Times, for the record, refused to print that news in it's paper - the voters, who voted for prop 187 in 1994, must not read in the paper how bad it's become.
The state of CA could come very close to balancing it's budget without cutting education and services to poor and sick elderly citizens, without raising taxes. The cost of illegal immigration; the excessive excess in the state, county and local pension system*; the state prison system - sweet powerful union deals; the wasted $hundreds of millions being spent on combating global warming (and $billions in cost to state businesses), etc.
* Rtired LAPD chief, Bernard Parks earns a $265,090 annual pension. As the City Council's budget chief, he collects a $178,789 salary - a whopping total of $443,879 a year. (we're worried about salaries and bonues on wall street?)
(;~/ gary
What?!?
June 3, 2009 - 11:09 ET by HoosierEmSo Bernard Parks earns his pension and on top of that another salary on the taxpayer's back?
That's ridiculous.
Hoosier
June 3, 2009 - 14:08 ET by Gary HallThe answer is yes. I think you got that.
The larger point here is that Parks is simply one example. This "pays to play" game exists across all government employment - federal, state, local, county, special districts, military, and legislative positions. Not only can one work while earning one taxpayer salary, and collecting a government pension - one can retire and collect more than one government pension. How much does all of this add up to? Don't expect the government employees to be doing a lot of investigation here.
Here's an interesting list in CA: http://www.californiapensionreform.com/calpers/
(;~/ gary
Prop -30-
June 3, 2009 - 11:06 ET by metaphorsbwithu"It's a lot easier to simply report the news than it is to manipulate it to promote an agenda."
metaphorsbwithu
→ I don't think so
June 3, 2009 - 11:10 ET by Cool ArrowJohn Madden was a great sportscaster, not because he was partial to the Raiders, but because he loved football.
It's a lot easier for me to process facts through my own filter than try to put it aside.
"The only reason Clarence Thomas is on the court is because he's black". - Joe Biden
Prop -30- Redux ...
June 3, 2009 - 11:26 ET by metaphorsbwithuJournalism, however, is the art of putting your filter aside as much as possible and reporting the facts.
Then it becomes easy.
What we have today are "reporters" writing (or not writing) the story that they want to advance.
That takes a lot more work, imagination, and coordination.
But you already know that.
metaphorsbwithu
→ Actually
June 3, 2009 - 11:37 ET by Cool ArrowIt's much easier for me to have the thoughts flow together than to limit myself to facts.
This:
A last minute addition to the President's itinerary is Saudi Arabia, sacred ground to Muslims everywhere. The President has not yet given any indication he will visit Mecca, a once in a lifetime requirement of devout Muslims.
Or this?
An extra stop has been added to the President's itinerary. His first stop will be Saudi Arabia, where he will visit King Abdullah at his horse farm.
"The only reason Clarence Thomas is on the court is because he's black". - Joe Biden
Just the facts, ma'am ...
June 3, 2009 - 19:22 ET by metaphorsbwithuWe're talking about two different things, Cool Arrow. You are demonstrating the use of historical and cultural knowledge and color to give life to the facts while I am referring to promoting an agenda.
Interjecting a comment about the President having previously "bowed" to the King at G-20, or perhaps wondering aloud whether Obama might "hold hands" with him as did President Bush at his ranch would be going beyond the facts and constitute editorializing, although the "Mecca" reference/insinuation might be pushing it as well.
metaphorsbwithu
→ That's the plan meta
June 3, 2009 - 19:29 ET by Cool ArrowI just demonstrated the ability to deliver the same news using different shading. That's my idea of biased reporting.
"The only reason Clarence Thomas is on the court is because he's black". - Joe Biden
oh the humanity!!
June 3, 2009 - 11:20 ET by kdizzydaze$5 billion stripped from education
Man, the Unions will be pissed - somebody get Barry O on the line and tell him to print mo' money, mo' money, mo' money.
one million low-income children dropped from public health care
What about S-Chip? Weren't these people "double insured" first by the state and now the fed?
half a million families thrown off welfare
wonder how many were 2nd or even 3rd generation recipients. Got news for you peeps, membership DOES NOT have its privileges. Hey, I am all for helping people out, but when they use that system the way they have over the last 40+ years, it is time to end it.
hundreds of state parks closed
You hear that people, no more walking in natural surroundings, since the parks are closed (Moose out front should've told ya) you cannot go outside!!!!
Education and social services continue to end up on the chopping block for one simple reason: In California, it's a lot easier to make cuts than it is to raise taxes.
Wrong, wrong, wrong!! they are on the chopping block because the return on those investments are below negative - they are epic failures in that state (as well as the other 49 - or 56 if you are Obama). Education consists of showing 14 year old girls how to put a condom on a banana or that evil greedy business owners all all pure evil and that the courts and government are the great equalizers that will "make things right". Social services? HA!!! that same 14 year old that those lawmakers thought so important she know how to place a condom on a banana now wonder why she has several children by several different dudes, several STD's and is on the public dole for more money than my wife and I make in a year.
Here is the answer - if you are a burden, financially or emotionally on anyone other than yourself or your immediate family, you need to reprioritize your life and gather a whole new set of values and morals.
Every day---
June 3, 2009 - 11:46 ET by misterbillEvery day-- another example of America failing is presented. California's problem is a national p[roblem also. No one wants to stop one of the principal causes of such high expenses: (from FAIRUS):
"While these annual costs for illegal immigration have been steadily draining California’s budget year after year, the costs have risen and are placing an even greater strain on the state’s resources in 2009. The original 2004 cost estimate was based on an illegal alien population estimated at 2,900,000. Today, FAIR estimates California’s illegal alien population has grown to 3,200,000, a 10.3 percent increase. As a result of both the continued growth in the illegal alien population and the higher cost of governmental services, the current fiscal cost outlays for the illegal alien population in California are now approaching $13.1 billion annually more than half the projected shortfall for next year.
“California is melting down with an unemployment rate of 9.3 percent, 257,400 jobs lost in 2008, median home values plummeting 50% since spring of 2007, and the lowest S&P bond rating of all fifty states,” said Dan Stein, President of FAIR. “While Governor Schwarzenegger is proposing draconian cuts in spending, ordering furloughs for state employees, and delaying expected taxpayer refunds, he continues to ignore the budget-busting cost of illegal immigration. With the highest concentration of illegal aliens of any state nearly one in eight residents is illegal it’s no wonder California is in the mess it is.”
You're right, as long as
June 4, 2009 - 09:56 ET by rbosqueYou're right, as long as Arnie and the state legislature keep their heads up thir ass and ignore the cost of illegals, this problem won't go away. The main culprit is liberals and their idiotic notion that we have to support people who break our laws. In order for California to be sober again, we must stop this madness.
Tsk, tsk!!!
June 3, 2009 - 12:08 ET by flyingmonkeyThe answer lies right off their coast. It's called oil!!! If they weren't so short sighted they would realize that they could also use their oil profits to do the "Green Research" they hold so dear.
simple way to maintain services and save millions
June 3, 2009 - 18:32 ET by UndercoverConservativeStop ALL servies to non citizens and non work-permit or residency permit holders. Stop the policy allowing "anchor" babies. Only services allowed to LEGAL recipients. This includes emergency room visits (because that loophole is a favorite exploit, come in to the ER with no documentation and a condition that has existed for weeks/months/years IN MEXICO then run across the border for treatment and run back)
Stop the payment of state money to "care providers" and "foster parents" residing IN MEXICO. Stop providing social services, visitation from American social workers and paying to fly children to VISIT THEIR PARENTS IN MEXICO. (Yes we do that too).
With the decline in a slave class that uses state support to subsidize unliveable wages through direct aid and indirectly thru not taking income taxes and SSI, employers would have to pay legal wages. State coffers gain thru reduced expenditure for social services, law enforcement (mexican cartel gangs get most of their labor force from the illegal immigrant slave class), reduced infrastructure load (lowball estimate by liberal minded organizations put this at at least a *million* vehicles causing pollution and road wear), and increased income to the State thru taxes paid.
Stopping the multimillion dollar subsidy of the Mexican government disguised as 'social services' is only the *beginning* of the savings. And no legal resident loses anything.
Raising taxes is NOT the solution. That old "death and taxes" adage has been pounded into people who think that we should just sit back and take it up the @rse and allow taxes after taxes after taxes. And that is the wrong-headed attitude to have.
WWW.GS2AC.COM. 2nd Amendment Grass Roots Action in the Bay Area, CA. We're not all "Breakfast Cereal" folks here! :)
There wouldn't be any poor
June 3, 2009 - 22:35 ET by RR GOPThere wouldn't be any poor kids if it weren't for:
1. Their loser parents who don't want to work and would rather do drugs and get drunk.
2. The Great Society Socialists who keep them poor and who make it difficult for companies to prosper and provide more jobs.
And besides, I wonder how many of those poor kids are actually Mexican citizens?
One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 61% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory (yep...approval for Congress now at 39%...do you believe that!?).