Schwarzenegger doles out cash

http://www.sunspot.net/news/nationworld/bal-te.california19dec19,0,1773276.story?coll=bal-nationworld-headlines

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LOS ANGELES - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger used an obscure state law yesterday to bypass the Legislature and funnel billions of dollars to cash-strapped municipalities in California desperate for funds normally supplied by a statewide tax on motor vehicles.
The Republican governor acted after he and lawmakers were unable to agree on ways to find the money that was lost when Schwarzenegger fulfilled a campaign promise to roll back an increase in the vehicle licensing fee that was triggered during the administration of ousted Gov. Gray Davis.
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The declaration of a fiscal emergency did not go unnoticed yesterday on Wall Street. Only moments before the governor held his news conference, Fitch Ratings lowered the state's bond rating to near junk bond status - the second rating agency to make the downgrade in the past month. Schwarzenegger said he was not concerned by the downgrading.
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"What we are really looking at is a game of 52-card pickup," said Bebitch Jeffe, talking about how the governor and the legislature are handling fiscal affairs. "He does not have a background in the legislative process," she said of Schwarzengger.
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As goes California so goes the US? :shrug:

Bypassing legislature utilizing odd interpretations of ancient laws, rule by Imperial Fiat, seizing monies and doling them ou with an arrogant "Who will stopme?" attitide.

Kallie-fornia has just been forcefullyt dragged into Bushevik-Occupied Imperial Amerika.

And you all know what comes after the preliminary groping, I'm sorry to say.

The rape.

social programs or underfunding them.

than say in NYC.What do we have now 1M 3 M homeless. Bush and Co are going to make Hoover look like he was un-sure what he was doing.

He did it to get emergency funds to local governments to fund POLICE AND FIRE!!!

who have sustained cuts from the federal and state level. BTW, the vast majority of police and firefighters are NOT rich although they do enjoy decent benefits. The reason for this is the danger and necessity of their job.

Unless you have something to back up that statement, I would consider it pure hyperbole since starting salaries for cops are in the range of 36,000 per year and firefighters are similar.

I was saying he's spending the money on police and firefighters, NOT the "rich". I agree, they're definitely not rich.

I was responding to the statement that he's being a "typical republican" and taking from the poor to give to the rich. That's not what's going on here.

Just a misunderstanding...

California, count the number of high ticket cars on the road..Mercedes, BMW's performance cars and high priced SUV's and tell me these people could not sustain a temporary increase in their auto registration fee.

BTW, I drive a BMW and a performance car and while I did not LIKE the fee, I would much rather pay that fee and NOT see people go without healthcare, or see my police and fire depts underfunded.

Th car tax only went up because a handful of Republicans were steadfast in blocking a temporary sales tax increase,..which BTW was the SAME remedy Pete Wilson used when he got his ass in hot water back in the late 80's.

I have 2 relatives who are firefighters, and they enjoy a relatively GREAT standard of living. Although it is definitely a dangerous job, it has always been something of an ironic secret with us that the reason for that is that they have one of the last remaining strong unions in the country, and are virtually immune from union-busting tactics -- can you imagine the hue and cry if firefighters were out on strike? These guys are not faceless, like the flight controllers that Raygun busted, they are everybody's neighbors.

The reason for the irony is that many of the people that my brother works with gripe constantly in the Limbaugh mode that the country is going straight to hell because of all the giveaways, yet they have 10-day-a-month schedules, full benefits, and enough money to live a decent life because of their union, and many of them have never had another job, will retire at 50, and have sucked off the union and public tit since they were 18.

I am only pointing out that although their jobs are dangerous, and in the case of the police, largely thankless, they get paid decently because they are organized, and are protected by their mythic status.

You are quite correct in your assessment..but when push comes to shove, their unions here in Cali KNOW they are in better shape when Dems are in the state house :D

"What do yoah meen, no mah-ney? Heah is some right heah!"

:eyes:

If you cut taxes, you also have to cut spending, or you get a defeceit... I don't see why this is a tough concept to grasp.

source going to be? Im sorry for Californians...but not for him.

He chose to enter politics as a repub. Being in one of our most respected Dem family, why in the world did he choose to represent repubs?

Or maybe there just isnt a answer to that. :kick:

Is there somewhere that lists the cuts? I read that one of the cuts would involve Universities. Couldn't the Dem controlled congress stop him?

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

:bounce: Appreciate it!

The Cal States are going to have to cut way back on admissions, UC will end its outreach programs, and Community Colleges will probably also face huge cutbacks--but it still won't be nearly enough to cover the money he's just appropriated from nowhere to pay the cities.

and is allowed by executive order to cut from wherever he sees he can up to IIRC 5%. It is clear that after "opening the books" and looking, there were no reasonable places to cut as has been said prior to the recall without someone feeling the pain.

Instead he cut the car tax and we are now billions more short than we were.

So they move to California, or join the GOP

Cut taxes and tax revenues go up up up and away. Remember people spend more because they have more and companies hire more people so tax revenues go up up up and away. If you believe the Bush* Administration that is. Sometimes facts just seem to get in the way of good sound bites. Evidence indicates that they are full of manure.

but if you want to raise spending, you have to have the money to pay for it. That's what Davis didn't understand. People might go along with raising taxes to pay for some new program, but to pay for previous overspending? Thats a little harder for people to stomach.

Schwartzenegger's made some major promises regarding taxes and not cutting programs, so he's going to have to physically show that somehow the state cannot function before he can get a new tax approved.

I don't think people will object to that. People objected to the seemingly non-chalant tax hikes the Davis administration imposed regularly. If you're going to ask for people's money, you'd better show that you're capable of being responsible with it. That's what the spending caps and balanced-budget stuff was all about. I think its all leading up to a plea for a tax hike.

That would only be important to him if he cared about the good of the state and its people.

junk bonds have a better return for investors... unfortunately that means the state pays more interest.

to promote his movie career? I'm sorry but you can't say the guy doesn't care about the good of the state and its people.

I really don't think he's as bad as you guys make him out to be. He's trying to fix a whacked out budget and spread the damage out to minimize the overall impact.

He's also trying to cool down a really pissed off and divided state.

i.e. high income and high ticket car drivers, and cutting education and services to the poor as well as police and fire services is FAIRLY spreading the pain? It seems to me hundreds of millions will be spent to restore an area of San Diego where people were so ANTI-TAX, that they could not see their way to fund their own local fire departments after claiming local government spends the money more responsibly than state bureaucracies.

Oh and who is "you guys"?

uh huh

matt, you are SERIOUSLY DELUDED if you think that steroid-infested piece of garbage gives a DAMN about the people of California. Arnold ONLY CARES ABOUT HIMSELF.

gets to be governor of whatever state they live in.