Arnold's Flushing California!

What the hell is wrong with the politicians in California? Our state is going into the crapper and I don't think they see how urgent this is. Do you?

California has a huge budget shortfall. Something like $41 Billion dollars! California is a Nation/State and it has the economy of a mid size country all by itself so not only should Californians be concerned but so should the nation.

Part of the problem is the longtime partisan feuds between the Republicans and Democrats. The Governator Arnold now finds himself proposing even higher tax licensing fees then the recalled Gov. Gray Davis to try to balance things out. State workers are being forced to take two day furloughs. What the Heck?

I don't have the answers but I have lots of suggestions. Since we are in the crapper anyway, repeal and fix Prop 13. This property tax prop got passed in 1978 and the authors of the bill could not have foreseen the problems that it created. Now I am not suggesting we go back to the way it was pre-1978 with a part time legistrature but de-centralizing the state government is not a bad idea on its face. All the cities divvy up their tax base and give it to the state which doles it back out to the rest of the state.

Prop 13 is not allowing local cities to serve local cities. Fix it! We need property tax revenue. It doesn't mean that taxes have to be levied without a cap but we do need them.

2nd suggestion. Get rid of the 2/3 majority crap! The Dems are the majority party here and have more than enough votes to enact a plan. Good or Bad! But the 2/3 majority just allows the minority party to stifle any efforts. The Repubs have used this to stymie California Politics to a terrible end.

This may make some so called fiscal conservatives happy but it's a bad rule cause if the Dems were the minority would you like them to be able to stifle the efforts of the majority of elected officials? Bad Rule get rid of it!

Hey here's an idea! Close some of these prisons! If the only thing creating revenue in your town is the prison then that's just wrong! If it's a privatized prison then that too is wrong. The State issues a punishment only to have it enforce by a private contractor? Nah! Most prisons are filled with non violent drug addicts and offenders not violent criminals.

It's killing us. Hey Cals Levies need to be fixed too! That will create jobs and Revenue! But alas you don't care. How bout the assembly and California Senate go to half wages until this crisis is resolved? Got my vote!

Here's to some sense!

BE Careful! BE Mindful! BE Prayerful!

Jaycee