By all accounts, nothing is happening today on the state budget. But that doesn’t mean Sacramento is dead. Oh no. While negotiations have deadlocked on the $26.3 billion deficit, state lawmakers have moved on to other important things, like debating the definition of honey, talking about a blueberry commission and discussing pomegranate juice.
Seriously. Legislation on those three topics are being heard in committee today while banks are threatening to not accept state IOUs after Friday.
Meanwhile, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office said this morning that the big guy was going to reach out and call Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, who refused to attend a meeting with the governor on Monday because she was upset with him. But the governor’s press staff hasn’t been able to actually talk with the governor to find out what happened with the call because a huge group of disabled people in wheel chairs are blocking his office door in protest of Schwarzenegger’s proposed cuts to in-home supportive services and other programs.
Just another productive day at the State Capitol.
UPDATE: Speaker’s office says she hasn’t heard from the governor yet.
UPDATE 2: Governor’s office says Schwarzenegger has left Bass a message.
If they don’t write the definition of honey, who will? Oh. It’s already in millions of dictionaries all over the world? I’ll find out about this! Honey, bring me my library card. I got some reading to do.
Anyone for a cup of coffee?
If New York is able to get things done with one less member getting coffee maybe if we offer peanut butter and honey to them we can get things done in Sacramento.
They needs to find middle ground. A 50/50 balance on taxes and cuts. Although I and many others would like to see (0 tax / 100 cut) it is not going to happen.
Karen Bass needs to pull her head out of the sand. She is so out of touch with reality …….. Get over it Karen ……. Stop your little snittyness and wake up and smell the coffee.. You can’t tax us to death and yes….
some programs have to go and some have to be cut…….
You are nothing more than a little child who has no perception of reality.
I couldnt have said it better!!! Good job!!!
I agree completely
and Karen Bass said we are all terrorists because we don’t want the govt to get more revenue (aka taxes) Good! Hope she quits over this too.
Mary…Karen Bass’ plan IS to tax us to death, so that her constituents don’t have to work for anything…Karen Bass will make sure that you and I provide it all. We are doomed as long as we allow these idiots (including Republicans) that voted for more taxes to remain in office.
Most of us would be fired for refusing to meet with our boss. She’s upset with him? Get it through your thick heads. The people you represent don’t want higher taxes, they want you to cut the bloated budget. Our state legislators are a joke.
The current budgetary mess was caused by a couple of factors but Bass is one of the problems. California state is simply broke now, one state assembly woman recently said “living within means” means nothing - we should spend like we can print our own money…in other words. Bass should resign if there is any dignity left in her.
Karen “buzz cut” Bass and all you liberal weenies need to stop paying for illegals in our state. That would save 10-12 BILLION DOLLARS per year. Cut the exobinate pay and benefits for state and city employees. The longer the stalemate the safer my wallet is from your greedy fingers!!!!
Can we recall these politicians as they did with Govenor Gray Davis?
Just recall the dumbass ******* and ******** from Sacramento, and the state will be running itself just fine.
Karen Bass is a lazy-good-for-nothing. When is she up for re-election? I am adding Karen Bass to my list of politicians (the gang of 8, and now her) who, in their next bid for re-election, I will be donating money to their opponents, and I am calling them to let them know. I know they don’t give a rip about us, but I am calling them anyway. Hopefully, I will have a few $$ left to give after the fed and state taxes.
Joyce - If one of them is in your district, then recall papers can be served. Contact the republican leaders in your area and let them know how you feel. Or, better yet, call John and Ken, KFI.
Karen Bass is a complete disgrace and could care less about the hardworking, legal, tax paying citizens of this state. Her socialist agenda wants to take more money from the givers (tax payers) and fund the many social programs and freebies for people who vote for her.
Sorry Karen…higher taxes are not on the table this time. START CUTTING PROGRAMS AND TRIM DOWN THE FAT THAT HAS BECOME STATE GOVERNMENT IN CALIFORNIA. The longer this takes, the better…maybe this state will go BK. That is the only solution!
I for one will not be voting for an incumbent for the next two election cycles. Throw all of them out and start fresh. Career politicans need to be removed and end this insane work ethic.
While I agree that many should be voted out, some did stand firm against tax increases and those shell games that the leadership proposed. Therefore just saying you are going to vote them all out is foolish. Vote against those who voted for the shell games and taxes. But reward those who stood firm against them by voting for them, if they aren’t termed out.
Use discernment and vote for those who stood up for us.
why not talk about honey and juices. tax payers just payed well over a million to honor a child molester before putting him in a hole.
spend that kind of money on a child molester for a memorial and the city or cities do nothing for coffins returning from Irag with a REAL HERO who died for OUR FREEDOM.
This State and all of it’s politicians should be embarrassed for allowing trhis to happen. Shame on them
I agree Nicole…
any dummy that has been in Iraq dont deserve anything.. Heroes my butt they are nothing more than a Government sponsored street gang
Karen Basshole needs to be tarred, feathered and put on the first train leaving California.
You go girl, tell Arnie to get on with the Tax program.Tax and get on with the show. make those conservative nummies pay out the nose. tax Oil, entertainment( that includes Golf), tax Liquor MORE, tax trucks coming in to California, Tax business License,
Thank higher power for those good people in wheelchairs.
Mr. Schwarzenegger,
I voted for you and I am so sorry I did. You lied to all of us! You made promises and broke every one of them. And how dare you take services away from the disabled! Why dont you take Robin Hoods example and take from the rich for a change you moron! With cuts in In Home Support Services will come increased costs like medical bills when disabled people cant get the care they need and get thanks to In Home Support Services. Your cuts will end up costing the state more than they save not only monitarily but in human suffering and difficulty! Go back to making movies! You were better at that then governing! All I can say is thank God above this liar cannot become the president of the United States!!!!!!!!!
John
So the Crybaby of the Assembly is boycotting the budget meetings. Boo hoo hoo. Ain’t it a shame!
Just remember Karen, crybabies that don’t attend the meetings, don’t get to complain about what comes out.
Karen Bass is a worthless piece of politician, er crud on the bottom of my shoe, just waiting to be scraped off.
Well, then those in the wheel chairs that are able to go and block the state capital do NOT need any protective services. Seems to be they are doing just fine.
Ohboy: just show how out of touch with reality you are…. who cooks for them/ cleans the house ,bathes them, helps them shop… try it for a week and see what you think BTW I am not wheelchair bound
First of all, it is the Governor who needs to meet with Bass as it is the legislature that approves the budget. Second, Arnold and Bass had a deal and then he made new demands. You don’t make a deal and then make changes. And why are they talking about fruit…the agriculture lobby is huge and they are trying to appease them. In the meantime Fitch reduced our rating to BBB. If ALL the children in Sac (Gov and Legislature) keep this up California will face not the Great Recession but a real live Depression. Sham on all of the politicians in Sacramento.
with the budget hole as large as it is and the two sides appearing unable (and unwilling) to make a mutually acceptable compromise, the banks are smart to spit on the paper ca is pumping out. this situation has “default” written all over it. anybody who thinks they are getting paid back in full on those iou’s shouldn’t have fiduciary responsibility over a child’s piggy bank, let alone any real amount of money.
Why do I feel like I’m flying at 30000 ft. and nobody’s in the cockpit at the controls? These people are complete idiots. They spend us into oblivion for 10 years, run out of money and now don’t know what the heck to do. And they call themselves our ‘leaders’. ha. What a farce!
NO JOBS ! NO MONEY! GET REAL
Well I read somewhere that the disagreement that Bass has with the governor is that he wants reforms now and she says that we need to balance the budget now without reforms. Or something to that effect.
But that is stupid. Part of what any thinking person who has ever dealt with state govt can see is that there are many areas of waste. But the pols usually just want to either raise taxes and/or cut popular programs rather than cutting waste.
the gov seems to have gotten the message, the dem leadership hasn’t that we don’t want more taxes or more gimmicks but rather serious cuts that make sense–not ones from programs that save money, etc.
They don’t seem to be willing to do the hard work necessary to identify waste and cut it, and that is where Bass is. She doesn’t want reform now, just balance the budget which likely means raise taxes–or cut popular programs that may actually save money in the long run.
Too bad her pay can’t be docked for boycotting the budget negotiations because she disagrees with the gov.
really? they’re talking about food?? state workers?? doesn’t surprise me one bit! lol!
Another example of where firefighters and other government employees and their unions are taking from the truly needy. Where are these heroes now when the disabled are suffering cuts in their meager lifestyles because we “need” to have firefighters and other government employees reitire in more luxury than almost every other citizen. Let’s see some real heroics firefighters. Give up your pension for a 401k so we can utilize tax dollars for truly needy CITIZENS and infrastructure.
These people are unreal. No wonder Sacramento is dysfunctional..it’s run by a bunch of whinny babies. Who votes for these clowns?
Where is the EXIT?
these are the kinds of reports just get people up in a lather for nothing…there are 4 legislators negotiating the budget…what are the other 116 supposed to do? They do their normal business, that’s what. The definition of honey is already in the books. The honey industry is recommending a change to protect people from checmically produced fake honey being sold to consumers, ripping them off. It’s AB 1216 - look it up.
In other words, your precious private sector businessmen want this law change and asked for it.