There are some moments when you just notice the absurdity of some of the arguments we are stuck on. Let’s try this one from the servants of Howard Jarvis’ Corpse that appeared in the Bee today:
“You still have more revenue coming in than any other state in the union,” David Wolf of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association told the committee. “You just can’t justify continuing to raise taxes.” (SacBee 6/9/09)
Really? This is what they are going with? California is a vastly larger economy than any other state. Of course we have more revenue than any other state. What exactly is the point of this statement, and why was it published in the story. We cannot pretend that this is merely a spending problem. making revenue untouchable.
“I get the politics of this,” Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, said, “but I don’t think we as legislators should be silent and feel we can’t talk about certain things when it’s the big elephant in the room.”
If we don’t talk about revenue, then quite simply the will just won’t materialize. It’s not going to come from simple Republican mistakes or something crazy like that. We have to actually create the will through serious messaging work. Mark Leno and other progressives are doing that, but so far the greater conversation has been played on right-wing terms
And instead of actually being “post-partisan”, Arnold is simply playing old-school special interest politics and rejecting all calls for additional revenue. No taxes on Chevron when they pull oil from the ground. No taxes on sports tickets, nothing new on tobacco or alcohol. Guess what the common thread is in that list? Yup, those would be the donors to his special election campaign.
The Governor and the Legislative Leaders need to be honest here, if everything is on the table, then everything must really be on the table. No more of this third rail politics shit, where people can’t discuss the real problems. Let’s have an honest debate, you know this time with facts that are actually relevant.
with people who have signed a PLEDGE against all taxes.
I mean, who wants taxes, right? So it’s easy for them.
In CA you have to beat them on TV.
We should be doing a better job to try to convince the constituents of the Republicans in the legislature how much taxes are needed, and that they should contact their legislators and encourage them to vote for revenues rather than a cuts-only budget.
The Republicans have no reason right now to support taxes because they believe their constituents don’t want them. All they get out of a vote is the chance to be recalled. They need support to make a constructive rather than purely destructive choice.
I live in a Senate district represented by one of the slimiest and shadiest Republicans of them all – Abel Maldonado. He’s only in office, I should add, because Don Perata promised to not support a serious challenger to him in 2008, and I am convinced that had we had a real Democrat in the race, Maldonado would have lost.
I can assure you that people here do not want these cuts. Even in the redder part of the district, in San Luis Obispo County, people want schools. They sure as hell want state parks (the foundation of the local economy).
That holds true in other red districts. Central Valley residents need Cal-WORKS and Healthy Families. Orange County parents rely on Cal Grants to get their kids through UC or CSU.
Wedging apart the Zombie Death Cult and their constituents should be an easy task. It’s time that work was done.
Let’s not forget he was one of the single most aggressive forces behind the Prop 1A-1F campaigns on the Democratic side. I received at least 3 communications from him and watched as he stood up at the convention with Bill Monning and John Perez to lecture Democrats as to why they had to accept a spending cap.
Glad to have him aboard now, but his rhetoric prior to his come-to-Jesus moment needs not to be forgotten.