California GOP is on the Clock
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| Also listed in: Courage Campaign Staff |
As regressive as it is, Governor Schwarzenegger finally announced a plan to close the state's budget deficit. A one-cent sales tax increase, which disproportionately raises costs for low and moderate income families versus California's rich and wealthy. Speaker Karen Bass and the Democrats quietly released their plan last week. It calls for a reasonable one percent income and corporate tax increases for the very wealthy of our society. What has the California Republicans offered? Nothing, except for no tax pledges almost all of them signed a year ago.
20,000 state employees (they work for me and you) have already been laid off. 200,000 more will be removed from the middle class to minimum wage by the end of the month if a budget compromise is not reached soon. At the annual NFL Draft, each team takes turns making draft picks. They are typically given 10 minutes to make their choice. When one team drafts a player, it can change the entire strategy of the team picking next. Once the commissioner announces a team's choice, he then announces that the next team is on the clock.
Schwarzenegger made a choice with his draconian executive order; Speaker Bass and the Democrats made a progressive choice with their reasonable plan to raise nearly $10 billion in one year; then Schwarzenegger made a second pick with his sales tax proposal which could bring in $15 billion in three years; and now isn't it time for the GOP to make their choice.
Produce a plan, or make a deal. Holding out to protect tax loopholes is not serving state employees or their bosses, us.
As a progressive Democratic activist, I don't pretend to be a fan of the splintered-permanent minority status California Republican Party, but we deserve more from them at this critical time.
State government is in a time of a faltering economy, pressures for increased social services. Honoring silly pledges for the sake of your individual political futures over genuine efforts to produce solutions or reach compromise shows that the state Republican party cannot lead us into the future.
Still, it is their turn, they are on the clock, time is ticking away!
20,000 state employees (they work for me and you) have already been laid off. 200,000 more will be removed from the middle class to minimum wage by the end of the month if a budget compromise is not reached soon. At the annual NFL Draft, each team takes turns making draft picks. They are typically given 10 minutes to make their choice. When one team drafts a player, it can change the entire strategy of the team picking next. Once the commissioner announces a team's choice, he then announces that the next team is on the clock.
Schwarzenegger made a choice with his draconian executive order; Speaker Bass and the Democrats made a progressive choice with their reasonable plan to raise nearly $10 billion in one year; then Schwarzenegger made a second pick with his sales tax proposal which could bring in $15 billion in three years; and now isn't it time for the GOP to make their choice.
Produce a plan, or make a deal. Holding out to protect tax loopholes is not serving state employees or their bosses, us.
As a progressive Democratic activist, I don't pretend to be a fan of the splintered-permanent minority status California Republican Party, but we deserve more from them at this critical time.
State government is in a time of a faltering economy, pressures for increased social services. Honoring silly pledges for the sake of your individual political futures over genuine efforts to produce solutions or reach compromise shows that the state Republican party cannot lead us into the future.
Still, it is their turn, they are on the clock, time is ticking away!