Category Archives: Budget

Blog Roundup, Budget, Environment, Prisons

July 23, 2007 Blog Roundup

Today’s Blog Roundup is on the flip. More budget stuff, some prison stuff, some interesting local stuff, some just stuff stuff.

If you want this in email format, you can sign up here.

As always, let me know if I missed something.

Budgets are Moral
Documents

Prisons

Environment

Local

All the Rest

Budget

What Do the Republicans Want?

17 Comments

Other than a fight for the sake of a fight…  There is no fat on the budget.  Any further cuts will be to programs.  Services to the poor, elderly or children?  Funding for our already underfunded education system?  More cuts to our transportation programs?  What about public safety?  Shall we just prolong this thing so that we have to shut down the entire government?  Actually, I kind of think they would like that.  Drown it in a bathtub right?

What they are asking for is not reasonable.  Heck, I don’t even know what they are asking for, because they are too scared to lay it out.  They are not negotiating on the level.  The goal posts have changed so often that it isn’t worth looking up the latest word out of the Republican’s mouth, because by the time I would write it up, it probably would change again.  But still, it is not reasonable.  If you can get the Democrats to try and out conservative the Republican governor, in arguably the most liberal state in the country, you know you have gotten all that you can get.

I understand that the Republicans want to be relevant.  Ok, you proved your point.  You managed to cut aid to the poor and elderly.  You even got the Democrats to cut taxes.  They paid down debt that we didn’t need to pay.  Go take that to your supports and try and argue that you deserve to be elected again.  But, now it is time to do the right thing.  Finish this thing off.  Go enjoy your recess.

Budget

George Skelton Is Shrill

7 Comments

The Royal and Ancient Hermetic Order of the Shrill has a new member, and he’s particularly amped up about some of the little goodies tucked away in the state budget, which is once again too heavily constructed on the backs of the poor:

Anyway, it was about the time of the wine-tasting that the legislative leaders hatched their plan to roll California’s most vulnerable.OK, maybe I’m guilty of a cheap shot. But it’s no more a cheap shot than picking the pockets of the poor in order to bring spending and taxes closer into balance.

The victims list includes 1.2 million impoverished aged, blind and disabled, plus 500,000 welfare families, mostly single moms with two kids.

Skelton is particularly shrill about the delay in the cost of living adjustment (COLA) for seniors on state and federal assistance, and the cuts to public transit, which for many who can’t afford cars is the only recourse to get around (although we need to sever that link between class and public transit, and soon).  Skelton is particularly disappointed in some so-called progressive leaders:

It was a sign of scandalized Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s loss of political clout that he didn’t personally fight for the transit funds, as he has for other L.A. causes in the past. “He has been AWOL,” says one leading Democrat. “He’s been wounded.”

Democrats, however, haven’t exactly been fighting for the aged, poor and disabled either. Republicans wouldn’t be expected to. But Democrats are supposed to be the defenders of the destitute. Instead, they suddenly surrendered to Republicans last week after vowing to hold their ground.

Any budget is going to be a mixed bag under the 2/3 requirement.  But it does appear to me that winners and losers were very clearly chosen based on their political clout.  The blind, the elderly, the poor, they all don’t donate to campaigns the way that teachers do (no slam on teachers, just reality).  Drug offenders who saw a cut in Prop. 36 treatment funds don’t host fundraisers at the halfway house.  Where you stood in this budget depended upon where you sat, and if you didn’t have a place at the table, forget it.

Maybe that has to do with the donations rolling in for the term limits initiative.  Or maybe it’s just easier to dismiss those who have little voice and little chance to mobilize.

Blog Roundup, Budget, Environment

July 22, 2007 Blog Roundup

Blog Roundup is on the flip; hopefully I made the email distribution cutoff. Went through 500 posts in 35 minutes.

As always, if I missed something, let me know in comments.

Budgets are Moral
Documents (Chronological Order)

Everyfink else (no
particular order

Budget

Dramatic Budgeting Moments in the Senate

36 Comments

I’ll just point to stories at the Progress Report, as Frank, as always, has got this one covered.

  • Dramatic Moment in California State Budget Impasse: Perata Tells Republican Senators to Write Budget Democrats Can Support, Saying “We Have No Freaking Idea Where You Want to Go”
  • The Inside Story: Perata in His Own Words on the California Budget Process and Results
  • California State Senators Spend the Night Together–Still No Budget
    • Blog Roundup, Budget, Environment

    July 20, 2007 Blog Roundup

    Today’s Blog Roundup is on the flip. Predictably, lots of budget stuff, but also education, poverty, labor, and environment.

    If I missed something, let me know in comments.

    Budgets Are (Sometimes)
    Moral Documents

    Land, Air & Water

    Infrastructure

    People

    Budget

    Perata on GOP Tax credit: “Irresponsible”

    11 Comments

    I posted a modified version of my voodoo economics post on DailyKos. Recs appreciated.

    Apparently, the Senate will not be blindly agreeing to the Assembly’s deal.  Sen. President Pro Tem Don Perata has lambasted the separate bill that would provide over $500 million in tax breaks as “irresponsible.” More from the Sac. Bee:

    Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata is blasting as dead on arrival a last-minute deal that helped win Assembly passage of a $103 billion state spending plan in the wee hours of Friday morning.

    “It’s an irresponsible action to take in the dark of night, without any debate or discussion,” Perata said of the Assembly compromise.

    Perata’s vow to reporters, which came about noon Friday after he had huddled with his caucus for an hour, raised new doubts about ending the Legislature’s lengthy budget impasse.  (SacBee 7/20/07)

    Flip it…

    Well, I called for progressive senators to stand up to this giveaway, and apparently um, Don Perata responded. Well, that ain’t bad.  And, even the Speaker is distressed about some of the tax credits, although 4 of the 5 plans were put forwards by progressive Democrats (thanks Steve!). So, here’s the Speaker on his deal:


    powered by ODEO

    Well, I don’t know if I’d call that a ringing endorsement, but I guess he’s just happy it got done. But, given that he’s recessed the Assembly, there could be some major issues if the Senate substantially alters the deal.  So, we’ve got a long road to hoe before this is done.

    Budget

    Time for a Progressive Revolt in the Senate

    6 Comments

    UPDATE: SpeakOut California has an action alert setup which will allow you to send a letter to the Governator, and your legislators.  Please do so here. Please. Pretty Please. Also, I added this sentence to the second paragaph: “Furthermore, we do not need to repay a billion of debt early just to appease Wall Street if that means slashing public transportation programs.”

    One more piece real quick here on the budget. As Frank mentioned in a comment to Bob’s first post on the budget, the Assembly has adjourned for 30 days. This leaves the Senate with few choices on the budget with exception, as Frank put, for sweeteners for Senate Reps. But, in my book, it’s time for some Progressive Senators to threaten withholding their votes on this plan. The VooDoo Economics goes too far. At the very least, let’s attempt to get some money back for public transit. So, Progressive Senators Migden, Kuehl, Corbett, Cedillo, I’m looking directly at you. It’s time to move the center of the discussion three steps to the left.

    Budget

    Budget Passes in the Dead of Night

    I’ll get more up as soon as possible. What I know right now is that the Assembly, where Mike Villines and the Republicans were causing trouble, passed the legislation 56-23. More in a bit.

    UPDATE: Here are the Speaker’s Talking Points. I’m still looking up what happened with some important items, such as high speed rail.

    The budget approved by the Assembly today:
    ü  Creates a $3.4 billion dollar reserve, 62% larger than the Governor’s proposed May Revision
    ü  Transfers $1.257 billion of gas taxes to the general fund
    ü  Repays $2.5 billion in bond obligations, $1 billion more than required
    ü  Preserves the Williamson Act
    ü  Rejects cuts to CalWORKS proposed by the Governor
    ü  Fully funds aid to Medi-Cal and the homeless mentally ill
    ü  Fully funds K-12 education

    UPDATE 2: Could be some bad news on Mass transit, as the Republicans seem to have extracted some compromises from the Speaker on that subject. The LA Times has more. 

    UPDATE 3: The Senate has a vote scheduled at 9AM. Perata seems to not totally be on board in a letter he sent the Speaker:

    “We cannot continue to fund education, higher education and crucial human services issues, such as the in-home supportive services program, childcare, or funding for the aged, blind and disabled by providing tax give-aways,” Perata wrote to Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez. (SacBee 7/20/07)