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by Julia Stein
Saturday, Mar. 29, 2003 at 10:59 AM
galiastein@earthlink.net
Republican Party's behind California's budget problems leading to major assaults on education, particularly at community colleges
At Santa Monica College this spring 180 instructors have been laid off, with hundreds more to be cut next fall. In the fall thousands of community college instructors statewide could lose their jobs and 100,000 students lose their classes.
Who’s responsible? The California Republican Party is the main reason for the budget shortfall and cutbacks in California. California is one of about 3 states that requires 2/3 majority in the legislature to increase taxes and also to pass the state budget (the other states require 50%). California Republicans passed both laws. Even though California is extremely Democratic state with a Democratic governor and Democratic majorities in both the state assembly and senate, these majorities are less than 2/3, so Republican votes are needed to pass the state budget and also for any tax increase. Thus the Republicans, the minority party, have a veto power over the budget or any tax increase.
To lower taxes in the legislature, however, takes only a majority of 50%. During Gov. Pete Wilson’s administration, California Republicans lowered income taxes on wealthy individuals and also passed an increase of the state vehicle license fee but then voted to get rid of this tax increase because of state budget surplus at the time. In January Gov. Davis proposed numerous tax increases but the Calif. Republican Party is vehemently against any new taxes so Davis basically gave up. If any Republican legislator would vote with the Democrats on either the budget or tax increase, the Calif. Republican Party has promised to start a recall of that legislator within 60 days. No tax increases. Instead cut, cut, cut the budget.
The state vehicle license fee which was passed in the 1990s and then gotten rid of had a little clause—if the state budget was in deficit, then the vehicle license fee would be automatically reinstated. So two months ago Democratic legislators passed a law saying that the vehicle license fee be reinstated—this tax increase would have exempted cars worth less than ,000 but would have given millions every month to the state budget. The Republicans immediately screamed and screamed against the bill. Gov. Davis vetoed the bill, because he was tired of fighting with Republicans and wanted to compromise with them. So there you have it—weak willed Gov. Davis won’t fight the Republican tyranny over the budget.
The present situation in Sacramento is you have every health and education lobbying group fighting to save its programs and besieging Democratic legislators. Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg said that though the budget needs to be passed by July 1, the Democrats and Republicans are so far apart that by October probably no budget will be passed so the whole state will come to a screeching halt with no state worker getting paid.
One last point. Public services have been chronically under funded in California since 1978 with the Republicans won passage of Proposition 13 limiting property taxes. The burden of funding services was transferred to the state but the state wasn’t giving the mechanism to pay for them. This long-standing problem has been increased by economic changes in the late 1990s.
In crash in the stock market, all those people in California who lost money are taking capital gains losses as tax deductions, thus greatly reducing California taxes on personal income. Further, California’s other main source of revenue is the sales tax, but since more Californians are buying through the Internet whose sales don’t pay any tax in this state, sales taxes aren’t increasing. As the economy in this state has changed from manufacturing to services, Gov. Davis in January proposed a tax on services but the Republicans, of course, vetoed all tax increases—whether sales, tax on services, tax on Internet sales, etc. So the tax code hasn’t kept up with the changes in the economy, thus contributing to the state’s budget deficit.
So come fall when thousands of instructors across the state lose their college teaching jobs and over 100,000 students lose their classes, go tell the Republican Party that their policies are destroying education.
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by Grover
Saturday, Mar. 29, 2003 at 2:51 PM
Gray Davis is now a Republican? Jeez, you miss one day of the news and look what happens.
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by SHITTYWALL
Saturday, Mar. 29, 2003 at 3:35 PM
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by Parmenides
Saturday, Mar. 29, 2003 at 4:18 PM
So the Republicans want to destroy the state of California? This is nothing new, whilst wrapping themselves in the flag and pushing to send 18 year old kds to foreign quagmires to catch bullets, building enormous prisons and defunding schools, they have systematically attacked much that makes California such a special place.
But lies are lies and they usually do catch up with one. Now it seems those lies are starting to catch up with republicans. Ironically, they can thank their silver spoon president for that. And so once again they are starting to cry and to whine about how the left and the liberals are lieing and trying to steal peoples money. They are using subterfuge, corporate media control, censorship of opinion, and destruction of the process of liberty to try to continue to sell their poisioned package of hate, sexism, and fundamentwal religious idiocy to America. They will no doubt continue to do so, like a cornered rat fights his way to death and attempts to claw all that come into contact with him.
But the jig is up. People will only fall for lies so long. Even the sheep are starting to stir in their corporate office pens. We have taken control of the streets, now we must move into the workspace, and last, I suppose, the politicians who are already so controlled by corporations, will start to see the light of reason and progressive unity that already exists globally (in contrast to republicans bandying of fear and isolationsism.)
Until the democrats are able to consolidate their politics into a politics of hope and progressive response it willl reamain up to the people to illuminate these truths, regardless of whining republicans and their neocon attempts to steal even more from the American people.
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by Grover
Saturday, Mar. 29, 2003 at 6:52 PM
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by SImple Simon
Saturday, Mar. 29, 2003 at 10:32 PM
You guys are all on drugs, right?
You are aware that all State-wide offices are held by Democrats? That there is a huge preponderance of Democrats in the State Senate and Assembly? That Democrats under Joe Davis have taken tens of billions of dollars and squandered them?
Name a Democrat that ever balanced a State budget.
The Democratic Party of California is steadily turning this State into a banana republic. But the bills are coming due soon. Once the taxpayer is hit with the huge increases in all types of taxes, the crap will definately hit the fan.
I suspect Arnold will run in the next Governor's race, and that should be a lock for the good guys. Follow that up with a decent number of Republican Senators and Assemblymen, and this State might just get on the road to recovery. Otherwise we'll be the sick old man of America.
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by Simple Simon
Saturday, Mar. 29, 2003 at 10:33 PM
Well, that's what I heard on Fox News, anyways. It MUST be true.
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