CA Gov. Calls for Tax Hikes, State's Democratic Ballot Process Suddenly a Good Thing
L.A.- based Adam Nagourney covered California’s budget impasse for Thursday’s edition, “Standoff in Sacramento as Brown and G.O.P. Lock Horns Over Taxes.” New Gov. Jerry Brown wants to put tax hikes in front of the voters through California’s initiative and referendum process.
While the paper’s previous California budget writer Jennifer Steinhauer showed her displeasure with direct democracy after voters rejected tax hikes under headlines like “Calif. Voters Reject Measures to Keep State Solvent,” and “In California, Democracy Doesn’t Pay the Bills,” Nagourney by contrast made encouraging noises about a public vote in the hope Brown’s proposed tax hikes would pass. From Thursday's article:
Gov. Jerry Brown, seeking authorization to ask California voters to extend expiring taxes to avoid more draconian budget cuts, is fighting what increasingly appears to be an intractable battle.
With every passing day, Mr. Brown seems more frustrated and perplexed at the intensity of the opposition he faces from Republican legislators, who are refusing to even allow him to go before voters with his tax proposal. He is trying to pick off Republican votes -- he needs two in the Senate and two in the Assembly to reach the two-thirds threshold -- while he and other Democratic leaders have stepped up a public campaign to warn voters of the consequences of not extending the taxes.
....
At base, Mr. Brown and Democratic leaders are offering voters a stark choice: support an extension of three expiring taxes -- income, sales and car registration surcharges -- or endure even more severe cuts in state spending. Mr. Brown said lawmakers who thought there was another option for closing the budget gap were delusional.
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Comments
Econ 101
Submitted by lockestep on Thu, 04/14/2011 - 2:27pm.
Econ 101 should be required for all elected officials.
how about this democratic process
Submitted by Hoosier Conservative on Thu, 04/14/2011 - 2:30pm.
The voters turn out in droves to approve tax increases. Tea partiers become hysterically enraged, publish the names and addresses of people who endorsed the bill, and threaten to fight until the law is overthrown.
The governor and attorney general publicly refuse to collect the new taxes. They call the taxes unamerican and assure the tea party that the taxes, although passed in a democratic vote, will swiftly be destroyed.
Voters who endorsed the bill find their homes and offices vandalized. They become afraid to even walk in certain neighborhoods. Police ignore complaints of "hate crimes" based on political motivation.
An appellate court rules the taxes illegal. The governor cheers that real democracy has finally won the day.
Does any of this sound familiar? I wonder what the headlines would be then.
Captain Moon Beam
Submitted by Jerry Mack on Thu, 04/14/2011 - 2:37pm.
Candidate Moon Beam said that he could and would balance the state budget without raising taxes. Soon as sworn in he said that the VOTERS must approve a tax hike or the state is doomed. At his swearng in he bragged that he was elected by a large amount of union assistance. He now says that Public sector union pay, benefits and retirement pay are a seperate item that must be dealt with later on. He was endorsed by almost every newspaper in the state. What is ironic is that many of them now expect him to act as a conservative.
Note: The Mooner just signed a Dimicrat bill that will encrease electricity rates by 7% in the next 10 years.
Being a CA resident......
Submitted by BEGRUNT on Thu, 04/14/2011 - 3:06pm.
I can tell you that the tax raise extension vote is DOA......there is no way it will pass.........Unless there is wide spread voter fraud.....ala SEIU. They pulled the same thing in Nevada getting Reid re-elected, by busing in union thugs to stuff the ballot box.
It seems at this point CA is 2 years behind in national politics, and doubled down on stupid Obama type government. I see Brown et al going down in flames within a years time, since they will only make the situation worse.
"A nation can suffer it's fool's, but cannot survive the traitor"
Cicero
There are a number
Submitted by Vonu on Thu, 04/14/2011 - 5:02pm.
of weak knee repulics elected out there. Most of them deserve a teabagging themselves.
I feel badly for Noel.
Submitted by dscott on Thu, 04/14/2011 - 6:33pm.
I feel badly for Noel.
Careful What You Ask For
Submitted by IrateNate on Thu, 04/14/2011 - 9:43pm.
How's that whole Jerry Brown thing working out for you, California? If memory serves, you asked for him. Hate to say "we told you so", but good luck with that upcoming bankruptcy.
Good luck running your AC
Submitted by Boudin on Thu, 04/14/2011 - 9:52pm.
On wind power also.
Can you believe, Cali had the 7th largest economy in the world just a short 20yrs ago. Now, if they are not a perfect example of what not to do, I dont know what is. Libtards ruined it, and are now working on YOUR State!
The sad part is when Cali
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Fri, 04/15/2011 - 3:11am.
The sad part is when Cali goes down we will pick it up because "Cali is too big to fail"