By: John W

John W — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 21:10:57 +0000

If comments I heard on talk radio yesterday (the sane middle-of-the-road station)are any indication, extending the tax hikes will be a tough sell even if the legislature votes to put it on the ballot. Unless Jerry comes out with an aggressive plan for pension reform sooner rather than later, people will be loath to continue taxing themselves at the higher rates. If a union state like my home state of Michigan can do away with defined benefit plans, California should too. Jerry may need to go with an “all cuts” plan and let people live in that world for a while. Cutting $25 billion would almost certainly require significant further cuts to K-12 and even more draconian cuts to everything else. The Illinois legisature voted yesterday to increase income tax rates by 66% — but that was from a flat 3% to a flat 5%. That’s the problem in CA. We’re maxed out on rates in just about every tax category and still in this mess, even when the economy is doing well. We’ve squandered money on high-calorie, low protein spending and don’t have much to show for our high taxes. Bummer!

By: Common Tater

Common Tater — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:34:44 +0000

Would someone please explain to Fiona Ma that saying, “no, no, no” IS part of the solution?

Comments on: More from local lawmakers on Brown’s budget

By: John W

By: Common Tater