Budget Crisis Insanity

State Democrats determined to raise taxes

Legislative leaders, saying school cuts under the governor's proposed budget are unacceptable, are prepared to dig in for a long fight to get about $5 billion in tax increases. (Los Angeles Times)

It's about time some sanity was brought into the debate over the California budget crisis. How does a rational leader possibly come to the conclusion that cutting $4.8 billion to the education budget is the right thing to do? When Governor Schwarzenegger took over one of the first things he did is eliminate over $6 billion in California taxes by cutting vehicle registration fees. It was a hugely popular decision in a state that has had a long love affair with cars. However, it suggests that this fiscal crisis was created by the current administration's reckless desire to cement it's popularity after coming to power in such an irregular fashion.

Two years later, the state faces a fiscal crisis and the Republican governor wants to kowtow to leaders by repeating the mantra of "no new taxes." I suppose the governor believes we are spending too much on the children of California.