Ahhhhnuld is looking out for Californians.....if they own oil and tobacco companies.

from the LA Times:



Legislative panel approves oil and tobacco taxes
The Democrat-dominated committee pulls back from some of the governor's proposed cuts. Its action sets up a showdown over the budget, as the Republican Schwarzenegger vows to veto any tax increases.

By Shane Goldmacher and Eric Bailey
June 17, 2009


Reporting from Sacramento -- Setting up a contentious partisan showdown, a legislative budget panel approved plans Tuesday to boost oil and tobacco taxes, slash money for schools, eliminate the high school exit exam and reduce the budget for state prisons.

But in completing a budget blueprint to put before the full Legislature next week, the committee pulled back from some of the deepest cuts proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to tame California's $24.3-billion deficit.

The Democrat-controlled group, working into the evening, also voted to raise community college fees by $6 a unit, reduce court funding and slice social services for the poor.

But members declined to endorse Schwarzenegger's bid to eliminate some health and welfare programs altogether.

The most contentious vote came on the Democratic plan to hike taxes on the oil and tobacco industries.

The proposal, approved on a straight party-line vote by the six Democrats on the 10-member budget panel, calls for a new 9.9% levy on oil pumped from California soil, which would produce about $830 million in the coming fiscal year. It would increase the state's cigarette tax by $1.50 a pack, raising $1 billion. And the repeal of a corporate tax break approved just months ago would net $80 million. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-budget17-2009jun17,0,1715367.story

The cog. tax hurts the tobacco industry very little, however it is a huge burden on lower middle class blue collar workers. (they smoke more). But hey, what the heck.