Republican Budget Math

To avoid raising taxes and still balance the books in Sacramento, you’d have to virtually shut down state government.

penniesBut hell, why should we let a little math get in the way of ideology? I’ve always understood that people who do not believe in government, or its place in creating a civil society, should not be in a position to run it. There is also no question that this minority of state legislators is hell-bent on destroying our government at any cost.

George Skelton’s Capitol Journal column in the LA Times today (2/16/2009) illustrates the absurdity of the Republicans in our state legislature.

From Sacramento — The math seems pretty simple. But apparently it’s too rigorous for many Republican politicians.

To avoid raising taxes and still balance the books in Sacramento, you’d have to virtually shut down state government.

One vote shy, state budget still in…Some politicians are in denial. Some are demagoguing. Some are just ducking. Scared.

The scared are rather pathetic. Here are elected officeholders who represent 475,000 people in an average Assembly district — 950,000 in a Senate district — and they cower before conservative bloggers, radio talk entertainers and activists of a declining party.

It’s Republican dogma in the Capitol that to vote for a tax increase is “career-ending.” Even if true — and there’s evidence both ways — so what?

These are folks, after all, who sermonize against making politics a career, publicly pretend to worship term limits and preach the virtues of private enterprise. You’d think they’d be eager to return to the private sector. Yet, they’re afraid to risk losing out on their next political job.

Read the rest here.

2 Comments

  1. These are folks, after all, who sermonize against making politics a career, publicly pretend to worship term limits and preach the virtues of private enterprise. You’d think they’d be eager to return to the private sector. Yet, they’re afraid to risk losing out on their next political job.

    The poster child for this attitude is Tom McClintock. Rails against government. Yet has never worked in the private sector. He’s landed a Federal gig in DC where he can spend his remaining day slopping it up at the trough he claims to dislike.

    Scary thing is how many people buy into his schtick.

  2. Chris —
    You beat me to posting this, so way to go.

    Why is it Republicans would rather see the state fail, go insolvent, than do everything they can to come to a compromise?

    It’s the party of No. They lack any kind of majority. Voters need to end this stalemate by electing more Democrats.

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