Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Temecula, is the new GOP leader in the state Senate. The Republican caucus voted to change leadership in the midst of the stalled budget in the Legislature. The issue is the tax increases proposed in the budget package. Ousted Senate Minority Leader Dave Cogdill of Modesto helped negotiate the package.
I'm not sure how the Republican maneuver gets state government any closer to solving its $41 billion financial crisis. But the budget package remains one GOP vote short of passing in the Senate.
Cogdill issued this statement after his ouster, according to The Bee's E. J. Schultz::
"Inaction is not an option. The consequences of an extended budget impasse will be catastrophic, hurting real Californians and bringing irreversible damage to our state's finances and economy. Lawmakers must pass a comprehensive budget solution right away if we are going to prevent California from falling off the financial cliff."
Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines of Clovis, who also negotiated the budget deal as part of the Big Five, survived a coup attempt over the weekend. It seems the Republicans would rather vote of their leadership than vote on the budget.
Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg has locked the Senate in the Capitol and will try again to get the budget passed.
This is what's in the budget package:
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. The state would actually spend significantly less money than it did the prior year under the proposal. That's a huge reversal for a state that had spending increases on automatic pilot. Anti-tax Republicans won't even acknowledge this fact.
Let the California Republican Party keep hanging themselves it's all the control they have left.
The statement that the GOP would rather vote on its leadership than on a budget clearly shows Mr. Boren for what he is, a GOP basher who is more interested in bashing the GOP than accepting the notion that it is the other party who is refusing to make any real cuts in spending to close the substantial gap in the budget. Just because the left has made a proposal, does not make it good or acceptable. Why doesn't the left make changes so that the GOP will accept it. Isn't it the left that is refusing to engage in fair negotiations? In addition the proposed cuts in the current proposal have more to do with agreeing to cut the original proposed increases in spending than real budget cuts. So I for one applaud the GOP for getting rid of one who is too weak to stand by important ideals that are for the benefit of all our citizens.
One tax hike that is rarely mentioned is the reduction of the dependent tax credit. It's going down $200 per dependent. That's a tax hike of $600 for a family of 5. The other hikes, except the VLF increase, are all incremental but families will be hit big time.
Quit hiding this hike.
If the proposed budget was the best Cogdill could get, then he deserves to go. Time to give someone else a shot at it. There is a whole lot more cutting to do before the budget is acceptable. Hold the line, Republicans, we're behind you 100%!!
"The state would actually spend significantly less money than it did the prior year under the proposal." Gee, I made $40,000 last year and spent $70,000. This year I'm only going to spend $60,000 -- isn't that good enough? After all, I'm spending $10,000 less!!
Rich,
Better the legislators hang themselves than the California taxpayers they pledged to represent.
Fran B, being out of the Clovis City Council loop, did they sacrifice a farthing of their (I believe) twelve hundred dollars a month? A former Council member (whom you know) is outraged about the palatial fire station, and now people are threatened with reduced service. Capital, small town, big town, they are all the same by now. So sad!
Comment Number II
If they as good as double the cost for the annual car registration, they shot themselves in the foot with stimulus as far as I am concerned. We just keep the eleven year old Lincoln Town Car instead of buying a new car as we had planned. It is a far better thing to keep carrying the money to a good repair shop than to further the parasitic existence of elected government. Ha!
Isabell: I don't know who you are referring to at the city council level. I was addressing the state dependent credit for income taxes.
Now the Clovis situation - that's another whole story.
BTW - who are you referring to as a past council member?
I find that blogging stuff quite difficult. It can become reather disjointed and off the point. Fran B, I had best leave it alone. I can see how it left you at loss. Sorry!
Not a problem, Isabell. Now I'm really curious.
I know who you are talking about and this person is still angry as is at least one current member. And there are a lot of people irked at the city manager.
I hope they don't dump him... he's kinda cute.
Senator Cogdill was and is one of the most honest Republicans I have ever worked with. He not only cared about California, but he worked hard to see that all of us who paid additional fees for activities were not cut out of the negoiations. He was the first Republican I have voted for in over 30 years and that was because he was honest. I did not agree with him on all issues and yes he was extremely conservative, but when you talked he listened, something different for the folks in Sacramento. I believe the Republican Party made a big mistake removing him from leadership,but I also think that the people will thank him for trying to find a solution to the mess that is now happening in Sacramento.
My thanks Senator Cogdill you will have my vote next time as well.
Who do those elected officials think they are going around dumping other elected officials. The legislature is not a country club with restrictions. The legislators are answerable to the electorate. But I too hate this budget.