Now that there's a budget agreement among the "Big Five," which The Bee's editorial board calls the state's "five-headed monster," the question remains whether there are enough votes to get it approved in the Assembly and Senate. The two-thirds requirement means a handful of Republicans must support the proposal for it to pass.
Conservative groups are pressuring GOP lawmakers to vote "no" on the latest budget package, which contains several tax increases, as well as spending cuts. If the Republicans kill this budget plan, they will make themselves even more irrelevant in state politics than they are now.
Budget votes are scheduled in the Assembly and Senate on Saturday. Assuming that all Democrats vote for the budget, three Republicans in the Assembly and three in the Senate must also vote for the budget to achieve the two-thirds needed for passage.
The taxes include: a 1-cent hike in the state sales tax; a 2.5% surcharge on state income taxes; a 12-cent per gallon increase in gasoline taxes at the pump; an increase in the vehicle license fee from the current 0.65% of the vehicle's value to 1.15%.
There also are spending cuts totaling $15 billion. This fact also seems to be overlooked by critics of the package: The state will actually spend significantly less money than it did the prior year. That's a monumental reversal for a state that had spending increases on automatic pilot.
Republicans seem to only be focused on the tax increases, and that's a fair concern, but it's not the entire picture. This budget deal includes big wins in several areas for the GOP. Republicans ought to be smart enough to know when they've won something, even if it's a partial win. The Democrats only got a partial win and they control both houses of the Legislature.
Just for starters, Republicans got a spending limit and an enhanced "rainy day fund" in the budget. Those are no small things.
The proposal creates incentives for businesses to invest in California and hire
out-of-work Californians, according to sources close to the negotations. There are tax credits for small businesses to hire new workers, and it clarifies laws regarding work schedules so employees have more flexibility to manage their time.
The deal eliminates two paid holidays for state workers, and should end the overtime pay abuses in which government workers use holiday and sick time to receive extra overtime pay, Those are big wins for the Republicans and big losses for the public employee unions.
The GOP also got the Democrats to concede in a key area involving public safety. A Democratic proposal to release prisoners early to save money was blocked by the Republicans, according to legislative sources.
This deal is loaded with "wins" for the Republicans, and that says a lot for a party that's in the minority in both houses of the Legislature. If Republicans want to run the Legislature, then they must win more seats. In the end, this is about clout.
The Republican leadership cut the best deal possible given all the political considerations. If the California Republican Party wants to continue to be the minority party, then walk away from this budget deal.
There are victories in this budget deal for Republicans. They should act like they won something, because they did.
Mr. Boren I am as anxious as you seem to be but for different reasons. So lets all just patiently see the process complete itself instead of wasting subscriber time producing agitating articles and pretending to have more leverage than is available.
The relevance of the left in this state is suffocating California.If the Republicans walk away from this deal they will secure the support of their voters not alienate them... so your little pressure play is misguided.
Mr. Boren I would rather the GOP become more irrelevant than go along with the ridiculous spending, Increased fees and taxing efforts included in the proposed budget. To say that some cuts have been made and thus the GOP should be satisfied with that accomplishment is silly. California's budget problem is not a revenue problem as much as it is a spending problem. I say GOP stand firm and refuse to cave in. At the end of the day the support for the GOP will increase and the GOP will be the better and stronger for it!
This whole budget mess has dragged on so long that it is time we get it done and move on. I trust Villines and Cogdill to make the best deals they can, and don’t think we can just go on forever negotiating. The Legislature has been paralyzed over the budget issue, and needs to get to work on governing the state.
Let Us hope the Republican walk away from this budget deal. AHHHHNOLD could step forward and be a real leader by coming out for deeper tax cuts; not taxes. I know the english language might be tough on the AHHHNOLD, but the citizens would understand deeper tax cuts over more taxes.
The governor can be a real leader and make a stand for deeper tax cuts; not more taxes. He can redeem himself and prove that he is a republican and not a RINO.
What in the world are the legislators thinking? It is easy for them to pass the burden of their overspending and mismanagement of public funds to working families. What are we supposed to cut out of our family budget to pay for these increased tax burdens when our home prices have plummeted, our retirements have been eroded, our businesses are struggling...get with the REAL world folks!! Every legislator who voted for this boondoggle of a budget should get thrown out of office. This isn't about the GOP or what Republican legislators got or didn't get...this is about increasing the economic burden, from government gone haywire, on working families, period.