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Assembly Democrats Focus on State Budget During Policy Summit
(Sacramento) – Schools will suffer. Programs for the poor and the elderly will be reduced or eliminated. Parks and beaches will be closed. Those are just a few of the results from Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposed across the board 10-percent budget cuts. But, as we learn in this Assembly Web Report, Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles), Speaker-elect Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), Democratic Caucus Chair Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa), and Budget Committee Chair John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) are leading the charge by Assembly Democrats to find a more balanced approach to solving California’s financial crisis.
Assembly Democrats Vote for Schools, Republicans Vote for Big Oil
(Sacramento) – The same week thousands of layoff notices were delivered to teachers and school staffs throughout California Assembly Democrats voted for new legislation that would have reduced the number of layoffs by closing the “gusher giveaway” tax break for oil companies. But Assembly Bill 3x 9 failed to get the two-thirds vote needed for passage because Assembly Republicans voted against education and for Big Oil. Just last month the Assembly Republicans also killed an effort to close a tax loophole for wealthy yacht owners. Democrats insist the state’s multi-billion dollar budget deficit be eliminated with a mix of cuts and new revenues, not through the “across the board, spending cuts only” approach proposed by the Governor. There’s more in this Assembly Web Report…
California's Budget-How We Got Here and Where We Should Go
Appeared on the California Progress Report and in the Santa Cruz Sentinel
Published by John Laird, March 30, 2008
The most successful national candidates this year have tapped into a desire for public officials to be direct and truthful with the voters, along with leading the nation away from the partisan divides that have seemed to sap our ability to achieve progress. Five years ago I entered the legislature with this same hope, and while I've been successful on many fronts, this sentiment in regard to the state budget continues to be absent.
Arnold Schwarzenegger ran for governor in the 2003 Recall election as a candidate who would end gridlock and get things done. In that campaign, he pledged to lower the car tax, balance the budget and not cut education. At the time I said keeping all three pledges would be impossible-and a year later Schwarzenegger broke his pledge and cut education.
Assembly Republicans Protecting Yacht Owners
(Sacramento) – Assembly Republicans have voted to protect the wealthy, yacht-owning, Thurston Howell the Thirds from paying taxes on their expensive boats. Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles) says its callous and reckless for Republicans to protect the yacht owners by refusing to close a tax loophole while at the same time voting for spending cuts to the poor, the elderly and school. In this Assembly Web Report the Speaker says the yacht tax loophole votes by Assembly Republicans shows their priorities are not the same as most Californians.