On Thursday, Brian Dennert of the Ventura County Star blog Brian Dennert Here had an an excellent and informative interview with current LACDP Chair and CDP Vice-Chair Candidate Eric Bauman.
Dennert talked with Eric about Proposition 8, partisanship, the budget crisis and much more. Here’s a taste:
Q: The state budget is in obvious trouble with problems obviously this year and in coming years. Many point to the contracts with state workers including pension obligations.
Within that context do you remember the last time you disagreed with the tactics, budgetary priorities, or views of any of the large state unions both public employees and private sector unions?
A: California’s budget situation is a disgrace. This governor was elected on a pledge to “cut up the credit cards” and sweep the special interests out of the Capitol.
In the end he has done neither. Under his watch we have a far larger deficit than we did under Governor Davis and the divisiveness between the parties is at an all time high.
This governor cannot deliver a single Republican vote for his budget plan and it is so bad the members of the Republican caucus wore name tags to a meeting with him because he has so little
contact with them.While Democrats have put compromise after compromise on the table, and even the governor has acknowledged the need for new revenues, not one Republican is willing to compromise.
This governor has failed and his Republican colleagues have sold him down the river,
As to the old saw that this is the fault of the public employee unions, you and I both know that is nonsense. This fiscal crisis began when Arnold unilaterally reduced the state’s revenue by four billion dollars by cutting the vehicle license fees.
It has worsened as out economy has tanked and our outmoded tax system has been unable to maintain any balance. My goodness, more than 52% of our state’s revenues come from personal and business taxes, the most volatile possible source.
Yes, our state employees are reasonably compensated and they work hard for their money. And yes they are willing to talk about reasonable compromises to help out in this crisis. But those who are our highest earners and our largest businesses should pay their fair share and we should close every ridiculous tax loophole that we have extended to the wealthy, like the yacht tax loophole.
Finally, there are only four ways to close this budget deficit – cutting spending, raising revenue, borrowing and reforming the system, for real. Democrats are willing to do all of the above. Republicans need to get with it…
For a good read, head over to Brian Dennert Here for the rest of the interview.