Thursday, March 31, 2011

The Left Angeles Times "Analysis" Of Cali Budget Talks Breakdown

WOW! The Left Angeles Times is putting editorials right smack dab on the front page. And it is the lead story above the fold. Wait, I'm sorry. My bad. It is a "News analysis" on the continuing "drift" of the California Republican party. The gist of this "analysis" is that us kooky right-wingers held the party hostage for not cutting a deal with the Democrat governor, Jerry Brown, and his allies to supposedly bridge the $26,000,000,000 deficit. The main thrust of the "deal" was for just enough Republicans to vote for authorizing a special election. That election would be to extend a slew of tax hikes for another five years. Those hikes, as noted in earlier posts, would continue a 1/2 cent hike in the state sales tax. And the increases in the Vehicle Registration Fee. Those are the most prominent in tax hikes that were negotiated during the reign of the former governor, Benedict Arnold Schwarzenegger. At some point, these "temporary" tax hikes would be made permanent. I mean, after seven years, who would realize that these were tax hikes in the first place, right? So, lets take a little out of this editorial, er "analysis". Here is a paragraph that makes me L O L (laugh out loud): The Democratic governor and legislative leaders offered the GOP a rare chance to shape key policies — and mitigate several that were forged on the other side of the aisle over more than a decade. GOP legislation was suddenly on the front burner. Rolling back government employee pensions, easing regulations on business, limiting the growth of government all seemed within reach. Really, do these writers believe that this governor, Jerry Brown, would agree to roll back government employee pension? Please! Does anyone mention how much government employee union money was poured into the election effort of Gov. Brown? And that he would jump at a chance to sell them out? Again, please. Here is another nugget: The price for this potential bounty was four votes, the ones Gov. Jerry Brown needed to place a tax measure before voters. Not an endorsement of more taxes, just a vote to let voters decide the matter. Not an endorsement of more taxes?! Whiskey? Tango? Foxtrot? Then why put this on the ballot in the first place? It is not to "let voters decide". It is the very elected officials effort to pass the buck. These people are more afraid of having to justify voting for higher taxes than some ode to democracy. And let me remind those waffling Republicans that the reward for endorsing higher taxes is for the Democrats to turn around and run against you. Because you voted for higher taxes. Even if in this case, it is just to let the voters decide on the issues. Just ask the great Political Whore, Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado. Oops! My bad, once again. That's former Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado. See, he did just that under former Gov. Benedict Arnold. And he was rewarded with the Lt. Gov. position when it opened up. The current Lt. Gov, Democrat Gavin Newsom, used his vote for allowing a 2009 vote on the tax issue against him. Enough said. Of course the Times found a wallowing Republican to lament no deal. That would be former state Republican chairman, Duf Sundheim. Here is his wallow: The breakdown of negotiations "hurts everybody. … It doesn't help Republicans. It doesn't help Jerry Brown. It doesn't help Democrats. It's why people are so disgusted with the process." Wha! Wha! People are disgusted with politicians cutting deals to save their own hides. And Duf, was it not under your watch that the deal was cut 10 years ago to save Republicans in the legislature and congress? Instead of fighting legally for better lines to make elections better for all, you and your allies cut a deal. And of course the blame for the Republicans losing ground once again is us right wingers. You know, those of us that are looking out for the tax payers. Those of us that want limited government. Those of us that actually believe that when one runs against raising taxes and reneges that is not a good thing. You know, we were told that the state party will grow if we just moderate ourselves. Benedict Arnold was showing us the way. Yeah, right. Sure he was. The truth of the matter is that it was moderates that ran for governor and senate. And they lost handily. Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman thought that they could just say the right things and buy their way into their respective offices. And they both lost. Mrs. Whitman to the retread Mr. Brown. And Mrs. Fiorina to the repulsive Sen. Barbara Boxer. People rejected moderate Republicans when they can have a real deal Dem. Happens all the time. Oh, but here is the L O L and O M G from this analysis: If Republicans had forged a deal with Brown, it might have been the foundation of an enduring partnership. Now, the centrist governor who was open to some of the Republican agenda could be pulled to the left. Centrist governor?! Once again, Whiskey? Tango? Foxtrot? This is the man, Jerry Brown, that began the ball rolling to financial doom by allowing state employees to organize under the Dills Act of 1978. And while it seemed rather innocuous and even benevolent back then, it is a huge reason why the politicians will not deal with the problem of the government-labor union relationship. Now, there is one bit of truth in this editorial, er "analysis". That the state Republican party does have a weak bench in terms of people who can run for offices like the governor's office and or the senate and other statewide offices. That will be the herculean task of the new state Republican chair, Tom Del Beccaro. He will have to identify good candidates. He will have to groom the same candidates. And the next election for governor is not until 2014. Before that will be a presidential election and the expected reelection bid of Sen. Dianne Feinstein. It will be a big task, but I think Mr. Del Beccaro is up for the task. It will not be because of the Axis of Evil. The Left Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronic, er Chronicle and the Sacramento Bee. These are the newspapers of big government. And they are going to try their best under the guise of analysis to demonize the California Republican party.

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