Less Government for More Fees Initiative

It is beyond my comprehension that California is in a budget crisis again. Our new governor got the constitutional amendment he asked for, the ability to pass a budget with 21 senators and 41 assembly members, and he got his austerity budget passed with $11.6 billion in cuts to health, social services, and education just mention a few. The rub is that Republicans have refused to allow an initiative on the ballot to raise $15.4 billion in taxes, or more accurately keep them at this temporarily elevated level. Now Brown is traveling the state trying to encourage voters to put an initiative on the ballot themselves. If government were a utility we could call this the “Less Government for More Fees Initiative.”

I don’t think that folks facing sever cuts will be voting for increased taxes. So why not ask us to raise taxes sufficiently to cover the whole $26 billion deficit? I have been promoting a 1.5% tax on all business revenue that would erase the deficit without cutting services. You can read the simple proposal below. But my proposal is just that, one proposal, nothing to fight about. However the concept of a fair tax on all sectors of society and spread to all sectors of the economy is the important point. I have been told that the Governor does not think much of my idea. Well here’s back to him. I don’t think much about a Democratic Party controlled state asking its residents to shut down government during this great recession. With an unemployment rate of over 12% this austerity budget relies on laying off tens of thousands of people. 400,000 college students will not be able to find places in school this coming year. Many state workers, those that can keep their jobs, will endure a 5% pay cut. In Home Health Service workers and their clients will have less hours. Whole classifications of medical recipients will lose care.

But it could be worse. And that is Brown’s message, if you don’t vote for these cuts by approving increases in taxes the alternative will be even more drastic cuts. I use to admire his political acumen and after the November election victory for the Democratic Party I was in awe. But not now, no Republicans will vote for Brown’s deal, and only half of the Independents and Democrats at most. My proposal, and I am sure there are others, will cost an average of $750 per resident but it will fall much more heavily on the wealthy and business. We would all pay something. And it would help keep California out of the coming second half of the double dip recession.

Hug a Republican today for slowing the process down, and then call our Democratic legislators and tell them we will only vote yes on a No Cuts Budget!