In this video, you’ll see Speaker Nunez talking about the budget being “fiscally responsible”.  The problem? Well, “fiscally responsible” is a complete misnomer and straight out of GOP talking points. Here’s the thing, would it have been fiscally irresponsible to:

• Provide for LA’s transportation plans? Nope, that would have been truly “responsible” and allow for people to cut their emissions by riding more public transit options.
• Would it have been fiscally irresponsible to ensure that BART’s Transbay tube gets the seismic retrofits it needs to ensure safety? That one rings of how the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bush Administration was “responsible” by not reinforcing the levees. By cutting transportation funds, we are hardly being “responsible”, we are putting our collective head in the sand and hoping with all our might that we don’t get a major earthquake that could devastate our precarious transportation corridors. Now, tell me how that’s responsible again?
• Was it fiscally responsible to cut tax credits for teachers while providing for an expirement in trickle-down economics? Cities with high costs of living already have problems retaining teachers because they can’t afford to live nearby, so we’re going to make it harder to be a teacher in LA, SF, and San Diego? Sure sounds like a seven year old getting back at their teachers for giving them a timeout.  And that’s pretty much how the Senate Dems are acting right now.

“Responsible” is GOP code for “we’re adults and you’re not”. The funny thing is, this is pretty much the same thing my 3-year old niece says when she’s not getting her way. “I’m the adult, not mama”. Well, we are letting Republicans convince the public, through their temper tantrum, that they are the adults. When you repeat these talking points, you end up reinforcing the view that Republicans are the adults and Democrats can’t be trusted with money, because, like children, they’ll go off and spend it at first opportunity. Responsible would be pushing for the removal of the 2/3 requirement so that the majority of this state could actually govern instead of using the budget as a political chit and putting children and the most vulnerable in the crossfire.

I’m not saying this budget is bad given the 2/3 restriction, but we must start informing voters on how they are being disenfranchised by this requirement, how they are being put in jeopardy by this requirement, and how the Republicans are choosing short-term poltical points over our long-term infrastructural and educational needs. It is time to seriously start working this point, and hopefully we can get rid of it during the next governor’s administration.