Governor Schwarzenegger has shown little or no leadership when it came to controlling the profligate spending of the corrupt free-spending socialists in the California legislature. He was complicit in budget talks which used outside borrowing, the transfer of legislatively-restricted funds among accounts and signing a budget he knew was faulty. Four months after loudly proclaiming his role in helping solve the emergency crisis, we find that Californian’s are facing a projected $21 billion deficit – even in the face of the largest tax increase in modern history.
Schwarzenegger was swept into office after the recall of the liberal democrat Gray Davis who was known for his prodigious fundraising and pandering to the special interests. Douchenegger loudly proclaimed that there would be changes – as he appointed Gray Davis’ liberal lesbian long-time democrat Chief of Staff to head up his office. And about those boxes of government, the non-productive boards and commissions he claimed he would blow up – he appointed his nanny and his former trainer to the very same entities he promised to eliminate.
Even more egregiously, the asshat RINO (Republican In Name Only) pushed ahead with AB32 – California’s version of global climate control – even though it promises to further decimate our fragile economy and drive the remaining businesses in California to consider residency in our neighboring states.
The man with no balls and no brains seems to be out promoting his “smoke and mirrors” candidacy for a high-level, cushy position with the global warming fanatics.
But his legacy will be the vision of the Douchenegger going hat-in-hand to beg President Obama for federal bailout funds. The State that was to serve as the model for other states is not also financially on the abyss, but its restrictive policies cheerfully signed by Douchenegger threaten to shove it into insolvency.
Bloomberg is reporting …
Schwarzenegger Seeks Obama’s Help for Deficit Relief (Update4)
“California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, anticipating a $21 billion state budget deficit, plans to ask President Barack Obama to ease mandates and minimums on social programs to save as much as $8 billion.”
One might ask where the hell were our liberal democrat Senators, the corrupt Feinstein and the stupid Boxer when Harry Reid was doling out bribes to sign the healthcare initiative? Were they both so in the bag for the socialist program that they simply watched other states walk out with large relief programs and promises of future assistance and said nothing?
“The Republican governor plans to seek the relief, according to a California official who asked not to be identified because details haven’t been resolved. Instead of seeking one-time stimulus money or a bailout, the most-populous U.S. state wants the federal government to reduce mandates and waive rules stipulating expenditures on programs such as indigent health care, the official said.”
Indigent healthcare? Is that the code words for “illegal aliens” and welfare recipients which are disproportionately attracted (30% of the national recipients reside in California) by the generous social programs mandated by the liberal democrat legislature and signed in to law by the Douchenegger?
Douchenegger appears on the battlefield to bayonet the survivors …
“California is among states most affected by the economic recession. It has the lowest credit rating and recorded the nation’s second-highest rate of home foreclosures, trailing only Nevada. Unemployment peaked at 12.5 percent in October amid the loss of 687,700 jobs from the year before, when the jobless figure was 8 percent. Wealth declined as the stock market lost 40 percent of its value in 2008.”
WTF? The deficit was said to be $42 billion … so what else are we not being told?
“Schwarzenegger and lawmakers worked to close a record $60 billion gap from February through July with $32 billion in spending cuts, $12.5 billion of temporary tax increases, $8 billion of federal stimulus money and more than $6 billion of other one-time fixes.”
More of Douchenegger’s lies? Most legislative spending cuts are not an absolute reduction in the amount of real money that is being spent by the state – but a type of accounting fiction that counts a reduction in already-inflated budget amounts as a cut. Whereas an absolute cut in real dollars would have an effect on the problem, a faux reduction in the rate of “budgetary” increases does little or nothing to fix the problem; only kicking the can down the road.
Perhaps that’s what Douchenegger is trying to do? Roll the biggest numbers that can be calculated for multiple periods – including those after his leaving office; applying the largest portion of the funds to his current portion of the debt – and then walk free claiming that he solved his budget problems while only kicking the can further down the road to the next Administration. An administration which will immediately face the hard choices that Douchenegger lacked the balls or political will to make.
“California’s deficits show how local governments are being forced to chose between raising taxes or cutting more funding for schools, health care and other programs, even as the economy is emerging from the recession that began in December 2007. The nascent recovery has yet to produce any job gains, a drag on states that rely on income and retail sales taxes.”
Funding for schools makes me crazy …
This is pure and utter bullshit! The money does not reach the classroom, it goes for administrative and teacher salaries – and to the special interests who continue to play real estate games with developers to build-out the school system’s infrastructure in face of declining enrollment.
How can one reconcile the abysmal performance of educators in the face of some of the highest salaries in the United States? How can one reconcile the union’s demands for mediocrity and continuing increases in salaries and benefits for teachers who have become an almost privileged class in California? We could cut the education budget 30% and re-work the teacher’s benefit plans without seriously affecting the performance of those that are being educated.
Douchenegger speaks …
“Schwarzenegger, 62, will detail his request for help when he delivers his annual State of the State address on Jan. 6 and unveils his budget on Jan. 8, his last chance to reshape California’s fiscal policies before he leaves office in January 2011 after seven years.”
Once more we will see Hollywood style stagecraft: a pre-written, spin-tested speech that says little or nothing. Reminiscent of Schwarzenegger’s new hero: Barack Obama, who is more likely to earn an Oscar for his acting ability before Schwarzenegger ever sees one.
End of the line …
“The arsenal of one-time accounting maneuvers he and lawmakers have previously used to temporarily paper over parts of the gap -- such as accelerating income-tax collections -- has been mostly depleted, making efforts to erase the latest $21 billion deficit more difficult.”
Enter the corrupt unions, especially the SEIU (Service Employees International Union) …
“Struggling to Cut”
“The state also has struggled to implement cost-cutting measures that were part of the $85 billion spending plan approved in July. Courts blocked part of the budget that cut funding for home care for the disabled and another part that borrowed $800 million from an account that sets aside money for local transportation agencies.”
Home care, a fraud-riddled program with just two fraud inspectors – and one in which home workers are allowed to join the union to engage in the type of collective bargaining that only raises costs and the California deficit. People who were already taking care of their parents are now receiving $1o per hour from the state. While this money is extremely helpful for some, the program is not well-managed and money is being poured down the drains and into union coffers.
“An accounting error means the state has to spend almost $1 billion more on schools than budgeted. Officials also underestimated the cost of health care for the poor by $900 million, and lawmakers failed to pass legislation to realize $1 billion less in anticipated prison spending.”
This is mismanagement which can be laid directly at the Douchenegger’s door.
“Combined, the state faces a $6.3 billion gap in the current year and another $14.4 billion in the next.”
See, I told you so …
It does appear that Douchenegger may be seeking just enough to erase this current year’s deficit to sanitize his record and walk away with bragging rights to having solved the problem. No mention of kicking the can down the road.
“The governor has said he won’t increase taxes again to close the gap. That means more cuts, complicated by mandated expenditures for programs such as Medicaid health-care for low- income residents. With reductions already made to programs for the poor, additional trims jeopardize those federal funds.”
Again, I ask where the hell were our Senators when Harry Reid was doling out goodies to exempt certain key states from paying their fair share of Medicaid?
The shell game continues …
The state was the biggest bond issuer this year, selling $36 billion of debt. It may come to market with at least $5 billion more of public-works obligations in the fiscal year that begins July 1, state Treasurer Bill Lockyer said.”
We need to expunge the democrats in the State … just as we must do on the national level …
“Democrats, who control both chambers of the Legislature, are expected to oppose wholesale cuts to health and welfare programs. Such resistance, along with Republican opposition to tax increases, will be exacerbated as election-year politics heightens the partisan divide. Half of the state’s 120 Assembly and Senate seats go before voters in November.”
“Budgets and tax increases in California must be approved by a two-thirds majority, and Democrats are two votes short in the Senate and six in the Assembly.”
And they got caught playing the very same “quid pro quo” games that Harry Reid is playing in the Senate and Nancy Pelosi is playing in the House. Offering special deals to legislators facing difficult elections in their districts.
Bottom line …
We need to vote out the corrupt and complacent legislators who have brought us to the abyss. We need to suspend all union influence in the state because it only raises costs and promotes mediocrity and corruption over good governance.
California purports to be a model for the rest of the nation. Heaven help them if they are experiencing the same level of democrat corruption and republican complacency that has brought California to the abyss. One need only look at AB32 which attempts to single-handedly affect global climate change without any corresponding assistance from other states or countries – all to the greater glory of Douchenegger’s political posturing.
We are in trouble and it is mostly the corrupt democrats who insured our current State’s failure.
-- steve
Reference Links …
Schwarzenegger Seeks Obama’s Help for Deficit Relief (Update4) - Bloomberg.com
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