[weekendwarrior]

Originally posted by Roscoe


Tuesday, July 22, 2003With Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff
For the story behind the story...

Democrats Caught Plotting to Worsen California's Budget Crisis

You know the Democrats have done something awful when even the leftist Los Angeles Times breaks ranks and exposes them. "In a meeting they thought was private but was actually broadcast around the Capitol on Monday, 11 Assembly Democrats debated prolonging California's budget crisis to further their political goals."

Members of Democratic Study Group, which has pushed to confiscate billions more dollars from taxpayers, failed to note that a microphone in a committee room in the state Capitol was on as they schemed about using the Dems' favorite tactic, obstructionism, to pressure Republicans into accepting the Dems' favorite non-solution, tax increases, to fix Gov. Gray Davis' $38 billion budget deficit.

"The conversation was transmitted to roughly 500 'squawk boxes' around Sacramento that political staff, lobbyists and reporters use to listen in on legislative proceedings," the Times reported today.

Leftist Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg of Los Angeles said: "Since this is going to be a crisis, the crisis could be this year. No one's running [for re-election]. And maybe you end up better off than you would have, and maybe you don't. But what you do is you show people that you can't get to this without a 55 percent vote."

The state Constitution requires a two-thirds majority of the Legislature to approve any tax increase, but the ballot initiative would let the Legislature sock taxpayers with a vote by only 55 percent of legislators.

Assemblyman Fabian Nunez, also of L.A., agreed. "If you don't have a budget, it helps Democrats," he said.

Democrats to the Poor: Drop Dead!

Even the Times had the grace and sense to admit, "While a delay might serve the tactical advantage of Democrats, its consequences are already being felt by students, vendors and the poor: Since the new fiscal year began July 1 without a budget, the state has already begun to cut off money to some programs."

Assembly Budget Committee Vice Chairman John Campbell, R-Irvine, listened to about 20 minutes of the meeting on the squawk box in his office.

"It sounded like they were hoping to create a crisis at some point to further their political gains in other areas," he said. "I thought that was outrageous."

He said that the Democrats talked about exploiting the public's distaste for the (Democrat-run) Legislature.

"They were worried that if the Legislature appeared to have dealt with the budget crisis, the initiative may not play well," he said. "This is very surprising, considering they are in charge."

After an hour and a half, a staff member finally told the dimwitted Democrats that their meeting was being broadcast.

"Oh [expletive], [expletive]," Goldberg said.

"The squawk box is on," the underling said. "You need to turn it off right there."

"How could that happen?" Goldberg said.

She later refused to apologize even after being caught red-handed and with foot in mouth.

"We're in a crisis. You don't have to precipitate one. The question is whether we should make that crisis happen now when it's really happening," was the best Goldberg could offer. "When you wait a year, you double the amount you have to cut. Is it better to do it now or next year?"

Roscoe, They are after Prop 13 which limits the increase in real property taxes until the property is sold or becomes part of an estate. Older people on fixed incomes were being taxed out of their homes because the tax assessments went up with the property values. Take my father, his home cost is 15K and he pays taxes on that value or his value at the time prop 13 passed, current market value 500K which with a fixed income my parents could not pay the tax based on 500K. It takes a 2/3 vote to change the provisions of Prop 13.

Bottom line the old and poor get hosed. Younger working people that are constantly moving up pay real property taxes based on current market values for the houses they purchased.

I guess the Party of the People does not give a damn about retired folks.