Comments on: Bad news for the special-election measures

By: Lottery firm coughs up $250k more for Prop. 1C

Lottery firm coughs up $250k more for Prop. 1C — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:50:15 +0000

[...] poll numbers in the dumps and the special election just eight days away, California’s longtime lottery contractor, Rhode [...]

By: Meg Whitman needs to check her math

Meg Whitman needs to check her math — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:48:46 +0000

[...] it would be about $15 billion if voters approved Propositions 1C, 1D and 1E next week, but that almost certainly ain’t gonna happen. And $21 billion isn’t 30,000 jobs, as George Skelton so eloquently put it back in February: [...]

By: Arne Simonsen

Arne Simonsen — Wed, 13 May 2009 05:44:01 +0000

I will be voting YES on Props 1D, 1E and 1F.

Prop 1D (50-cent per pack cigarette tax) has a massive surplus. The First Five county programs have been ripe with fraud by child care centers receiving Prop 99 money, including one right here in Contra Costa County. As someone who pays that 50-cent tax, I’d rather see that money going to help the State with its fiscal problems.

Prop 1E – I opposed this 1% income tax surcharge on ‘the rich’ when it was on the ballot. It was a very bad example of ballot box budgeting, further tying the hands of the Legislature.

Prop 1F – This proposition sends a real signal to the Legislature that they have to budget expenditures to equal revenues (including reducing what the schools get under Prop 99 when expenditures are down). Legislators should not receive their salary and daily per diem when they fail to meet the State constitutional requirement to have a budget by June 15th.

Taxpayers are tapped-out, so Props 1A, 1B and 1C are a no-brainer – VOTE NO on Props 1A, 1B and 1C.

By: Guy C Dana

Guy C Dana — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:06:38 +0000

The California general public appears to have lost confidence in the legislature, and rightly so.
I just finished listening to a representative from the Governor’s office describe how the current propositions on the ballot will help and substantially change the California State budgeting process. I was in a group of 200 representatives (primarily owners) of small businesses who made the following statement and asked the resulting question (Paraphrasing multiple responses):
“We, as business owners, have had to lay off employees, forego planned expenditures, and generally scale back expenses to meet the current economic challenge. Why does the California State Legislature and the Governor believe they are above the general population in this regard and immune to the challenges the rest of us face daily? Why do they believe they can continue to spend our money without being accountable to scale back expenses.”
Excellent question.
The general feeling is that our legislators are a group of complete inept idiots who, arguing amongst themselves for personal gain can’t come to grips with the real world. With a 12% approval rating, I believe this to be an accurate assessment. They should all be replaced with people who can do the job.
The comment was also made that it may just be better to let California declare bankruptcy since the financial affairs of the state will then be handled by federal courts. They feel the courts will do a better job running the state than the current group which has proved its incompetency over the past many years.
The system needs to be fixed, not just patched together which is exactly what most of the current propositions do.

By: Allen Payton

Allen Payton — Tue, 12 May 2009 06:31:24 +0000

It’s time for the Governor to exercise the use of his line-item veto authority with the blue pencil.

By: Lottery firm coughs up $250k more for Prop. 1C - Political Blotter - Politics in the Bay Area and beyond

Mon, 11 May 2009 23:48:50 +0000

[...] Bad news for the special-election measures [...]

By: More stimulus funds flow to school districts - The Education Report - Reporter Katy Murphy’s blog on Oakland schools

Mon, 11 May 2009 19:37:18 +0000

[...] $1.1 billion to go out in the fall. Of course, with the state’s budget in such a mess and the dwindling public support for Prop. 1A (which would bring in $16 billion in temporary tax revenue and cap spending), the [...]

By: antiwastetaxpayer'smoney

antiwastetaxpayer'smoney — Mon, 11 May 2009 05:18:19 +0000

Cut waste or fraud from developmental, community, and regional centers. The autism disabled consumers received money/funds from group homes and IHHS while state also funds/pays developmental and regional centers. Is it double payments/funds by taxpayer’s money? This is waste of taxpayer’s money. Don’t forget these agencies keep expanding their costs to state and taxpayers.
State should stop or cut funding developmental, community, and regional centers

By: Elwood

Elwood — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:49:06 +0000

“The PPIC found 74 percent of Californians say the president and Congress will be able to work together and accomplish a lot this year.”

In related questions, PPIC found that 72 percent of Californians believe in the Easter Bunny and 73 percent in the Tooth Fairy.

By: John W

John W — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:06:37 +0000

According the the state treasurer, interviewed on KGO this morning, the $8 billion hole we would have even if these measures passed is now looking like $11 billion. Add that to the additional $6 billion hole from defeating the measures on 5/19 and we are dealing with $17 billion. We’re tapped out on borrowing capacity, and there is no support for more taxes. So, it will be all cuts to balance the budget. $17 billion from a $92 billion general fund budget is a bunch.