Exploiting a legislative loophole, Assembly Democrats late Sunday passed a tax increase and other fixes to bridge the state’s $24.3 billion deficit without a single Republican vote.
Typically, tax increases and budget votes require a two-thirds majority. Since just over one third of the Assembly is controlled by Republicans, that means Democrats need at least a handful of GOP votes.
But under the plan approved late Sunday, the Democrats were able to approve the tax increases and budget fixes, which come close to solving the entire deficit, on a simple majority vote.
The State Senate is scheduled to vote on the same plan starting at 9:30 a.m. today.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office, however, has said the governor “will veto any majority-vote plan.”
Crooks. Why don’t you try cutting instead of raising taxes of an already over taxed state. You can’t spend my current taxes properly and you want more of it to waste?
Karen Bass and her cohorts are at it again. Hopefully, Arnold will show the brass that he promised and the Senate will not pass the same bill.
Let the IOUs begin.
What loophole? Please explain!
This is the begining of anarchy in California. Pure insanity, total contempt for the people of this state. Let’s hope that the way to ending this tyranny is peaceful. If not, this may be the begining of the end of a society as we know it……
It is completly obvious that our State Assembly has a total disregard for the will of the people. Who keeps voting these tryrants in office? It is time to use the power of the vote and make sweeping changes to our Legislature. Otherwise we have only ourselves to blame.
I’ve sent requests to “my” representatives in the Assembly and Senate, both republicans, to clarification on just how they, if they were in the majority, would cut, cut, cut and balance the budge without any new taxes.
Haven’t heard a word. I’m so sick of hearing “cut, cut, cut” without a workable description of what would be cut I could spit! Most of the blabber concerns cuts that the state is powerless to control, so it’s just empty talk.
Let’s face it, our elected ‘representatives’ are not OUR representatives, they are puppets of their respective parties. To Pi** off the party means no re-election or change of public feed-bag if termed out.
The legislature is not capable of running the state, although they insist on getting involved down to the smallest detail.
If it weren’t for my 3-month old grandson, I’d be outta here so fast….
Unfortunately, the Assembly Districts with high Welfare, Illegal Immigrants, and Anchor Babies are now of Voting Age keep voting in the Democrats that believe in giving away our tax dollars to those that don’t contribute.
Would one expect any different. If they are lazy and don’t want to work or pay taxes, why would they vote for someone that wasn’t going to give away the farm and allow them to do nothing except vote and make more babies to earn more welfare/WIC.
The defiance shown against the Ca voters by the democrat legislators is reprehensibile. Don’t you think they’d get the message after the May 19 vote when the electorate slapped down their 1a-1e proposals by 35% margins? They need to return to a remedial poli sci 101 class and relearn the concept of ‘representative democracy’ it seems. And the law clearly states that any tax increase requires a 2/3′rds vote. So now we have legislators breaking the laws? No wonder Ca is the nation’s laughing stock.
The way these criminals in Sacramento operate is truly disgusting. The legislature just needs to come clean and finally fess up to not caring about the legal, tax paying citizens of CA. They only care about furthering their careers and the special interests that they are whored out to.
LET THIS STATE FAIL…THAT IS THE ONLY SOLUTION. Socialism on this grand scale does not work. Let the BK proceedings start!
But there needs to be NOOOOOOOOOOOO bailout from Washington. I dont want the state I am moving to to pay for this.
I agree… this state need to fail BIG TIME, for anything to finally be solved.
Unfortunately, they sent their former ringleader to D.C. as speaker of the house. Now they’re trying to get us from two fronts BOHICA.
this is shocking stuff. the majority of a legislative body making a decision. the unmitigated gall! some claim these rules help limit taxes and spending. well, we see how well that has worked. those budget and tax rules have probably done more harm than good, as have a lot of voter passed initiatives. this dysfunction is the fault of the voters, and the folks in washington are content to let us stew in our own fouled nest. if california got smart and decided to apportion our electoral votes by congressional district instead of winner take all, the entirity of washington would be begging to do everything in their power to help us. oh well. call it a missed opportunity.
The current legislature is destroying this state. Can’t they see that their failed policies have already made the recession worse in California than it is in other parts of the country. Only MI, OR, RI and SC have higher unemployment rates than CA! The People must take charge and replace these non-representing representatives with legislators that actually care about the solvency of this state and respect the will of The People.
Democrats are the new Fascists and now show their true face. They vote to secure power and plan to rule for years to come. They’re not fooling anyone and are the lowlifes that the rest of us know them to be.
The new Politburo.
Thanks to all those who voted these power hungry moguls into power. As someone else said, “looks like your chickens have come home to roost”. These legislators are no better, and may be far worse, than Bernie Madoff.
Time for a recall.
The difference between Madoff and the democrat legislators is this: The investors gave their money VOLUTARILY to Madoff who swindled them. So some of the blame, albeit a small amount, must be placed on the investor who let greed overrule good judgment. On the other hand, politicians take our taxes against our will. And there are safequards in place to protect the treasure of the people, namely the 2/3′rds vote or the ballot box. The people spoke loud and clear on May 19. No more taxes. Now the dems are doing an end run to stuff new taxes down our throats by rewriting the rules. That is not by any stretch of the imagination a representative democracy. When legislators start rewriting the rules on cue to get what they want it’s a horrendous act against the people. If they were acting within the rules they would use the majority vote on every occasion and ignore the 2/3′rds mandate. But they don’t. They only use it when their backs are up against the wall. Which only supports the notion that they know it’s absolutely wrong.
Good call ocobserver!
Didn’t they get the message from that “special election” where tax hikes under Prop. 1A-1F sank like a stone? Now they want to raise DMV fees even higher.
How do you spell “i-l-l-e-g-a-l”? If Howard Jarvis were alive today, these crooks would never be able to get away with this end-run around the will of the people.
Just got a statement from the Board of Equalization saying that, henceforth, I have to file an e-statemen every July. No more paper filing. What if I send them an IOU, or a “money’s short, times are hard” card, instead?
Democrats just don’t get it. They think they are going to tax their way out of this mess that they created. There is too much socialism in California. Too many people are on the dole. Too many useless government agencies that should be reduced or abolished, and now is a good time to start.
With the budget shell game that goes on each year, the state will ultimately fail. It seems all too apparent that the majority party still hasn’t learned the word ‘austerity’, and they will be the ones to lead us into bankruptcy. I hope that people remember this come election time.
Brian… this is an article? Seriously?? Um… any details on WHAT they voted on?
“You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.”*
Adrian Rogers, 1931
As a taxpayer I live in Anaheim and still can’t afford to go to Disneyland and they still want more for me. Cut the spending and lets get rid of freebes. Put them to work for there money. Stop giving are hard earned money to these wasteful programs and taxing us to death.
What a bunch of pigs!
Your right and they should be tried and convicted just like Bernie Madoff. with a 150 sentence for breaking the laws of this state. Anyone who votes for a Democrat in this state is obvious brainwashed and is to ignorant to know that the state has just broken the law and using our money for their own special interest.
I love it. The politicians are going to get their tax increases one way or another. Complete disregard for the Will of the people.
Wake up citizens, you think these politicians have your best interest at heart. Please.
Nothing at this point can be told to me by a politician that I will believe.
It’s pathetic that we are paying the salaries of a government that CLEARLY does NOT lead the people. They’ve had how many months to work out the budget? And this is ALL we get?
so tax more and then propose the illegals stay for free. All politicians should be brought up on charges of treason.
On a side note how long do the politicians think they can keep going before the citizens have had enough and take to the streets.
Raising taxes is the ONLY responsible way to resolve this issue.
Let me give you some other RESPONSIBLE ways to resolve this issue over the long term:
1. Manage the state budget properly
2. Rein in the spending on the unnecessary bills passed by Ca. legislators (look at some of the foolish laws passed this year).
3. Reduce the number of PIAID board members of the 200+ state boards.
4. Reduce the over head costs in all State Departments.
5. Increase the age for a state worker to get their pension to 65.
6. Do not provide pensions for legislators
7. Do not allow State workers to be “double dippers”
This is just the start. Your comment about the “Only responsible way to resolve the issue” is dismissive of the reality of the situation. Are you a State Senator or House Member?
Where is Attorney General Brown on this, you know, the guy who wants to be governor again. He should be citing the legislature for passing a tax bill that is unconstitutional, but since they are his people he is probably in some office with his finger up his nose hoping no one will call on him.
Well at least some action was taken. Twice now the Dems have at least had a plan while the GOP is sitting on its hands. The Dems have a majority which means the majority of people elected the Dems as their Representatives. California is about to lose her credit rating which means we will move from the worst recession into Ca Depression. GOP needs to stop marching in lockstep, come up with a plan, and get a budget. If not then moving CA into a Depression will be on their hands.
here is an idea as well, why dont the dems stop trying to raise taxes on us, especially after the citizens spoke about what their thoughts are on raising taxes.
Remember 1a through 1f. How about they figure out how to make cuts to solve this problem, you know like cutting off the milliions of illegals raping our systems and resources and assisting with this problem.
Start there then come talk to us.
We are a nation of laws. If our own legislators who make the laws break the laws what makes us any different than a 3rd world banana republic? You cannot break a law, particulary if you are an elected official, to justify solving a budget crisis. What’s next? Jailing law abiding protesters because they are causing too many other citizens to think about the shenanigans that takes place in Sacramento? Where exactly does that slippery slope end? There is a MASSIVE amount of fat in government that the lawmakers REFUSE to acknowledge. $13 billion spent on illegal foreigners….people who violated our laws to get into the country. Not even being addressed. You need to step back and think about the actions you are condoning. What you support flies in the face of the principles that our founding fathers developed to govern our beloved nation. Do you want to chuck all those principles down the commode and start over again?
Voters to Assembly Democrats: Pull strings to find jobs in the private sector because after the next voting cycle you’re going to be out of work!
This article is lacking some things…. What is the ‘loophole?’ Any plans to fix it? What increases were made? Anything?
Time to rebel against these politicians who think that we are sleeping through all of this. We did it in 1776 and it is time to do it again. Just don’t pay your income taxes or your house taxes. Then don’t shop at department stores. Cut back on food and use your auto less.
Forget tea parties and the constant complaining…let’s burn the assembly building down post haste, literally speaking of course. Send them all to the unemployment lines and bring back integrity. I think we just have had enough. What say you, California???
I say the way to cut the budget and solve California’s MAIN drain, is to keep cutting government programs….
-Close all state parks.
-Cut welfare.
-Lay off school administrators (whom take the biggest cut of the funds).
-Lay off ALL Cal Trans workers, and bid out the roadwork to the private sector (God know if will get do not faster and with better quality).
When the leaches realize their is no more free-ride here, they will leave, our budget will balance, and life will go back to normal.
amen
Take down the names of ALL these dems who voted for this tax increase and vote them OUT of office when they come up for re-election!!!!!
The greed factor out weigh’s everything and the politicians are greedy, throw in their private investments and what do you get, I’ll tell you what, a bunch of rich politicians smiling and waving at you with one finger, and all of the morons out there and 99% of the voters smile and wave back.
I guess some people think that the Republicans are just sitting on their hands. Wrong, they did bring up an alternative spending bill, but it had too many cuts in it for the Democrats. Rep. Assemblyman Chuck DeVore brought up his own plan, which the legislature did not want to hear. Governor Schwarzenegger suggested a 5% cut in government employees pay that the Democrat legislature didn’t even pass on to the unions for a reply.
TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION! TIME TO TAKE BACK OUR STATE FROM ILLEGALLS, LAZY WELFARE MOMS AND GOVT. WORKERS! I REALLY HOPE THIS STATE GOES BANKRUPT. TUNE TO AM 640 AT 5 P.M. FOR UPDATE ON TAX REVOLT.
FACT: California has the least legislators per capita of any state: 80 Assembly; 40 State Senators. Divide into 37 million - ratio is 1:308,000.
FACT: Texas has 150 Assembly & 32 Senators. Ratio is: 1:135,000.
FACT: Georgia has 180 Assembly & 54 Senators. Ratio is: 1:41,450.
FACT: Connecticut has 151 Assembly & 36 Senators. Ratio is: 1:18,700.
FACT: Wyoming has 60 Assembly & 30 Senators. Ratio is 1:5,700.
We have fewer legislators than 34 states. Only 14 states have fewer legislators than California, including low population states like Alaska, Nevada and South Dakota.
If we expand the Legislature to elect 400 Assembly & 100 State Senators, we’d still have one of the country’s higher ratios at 1:61,000, but…local electeds would have smaller districts not needing special interest campaign money from unions or businesses.
It may seem counter intuitive to expand the size of the State Legislature as a way to improve government, but we’re not near reasonable ratios.
nteresting idea and you are correct it is counter intuitive.
However, I lived in Georgia for 8 years and their State government is part time. So cut the ratio in half for California due to the full time nature of our state government. Therefore, the ratio is 1: 154,000. You should also look at the number of state employees, the ratio of state employee compensation to the entire budget, etc. To look at only one ratio is disingenuous.
I have little respect left for Governor S but whatever little bit there is will be completely gone if he does not veto this attempt by the Democrats to override the clear intent of the voters and the State Constitution.