Dec 02 2008
A Round-Up Of What Is Happening In California Politics
The Governor declared an emergency session to resolve the fiscal crisis in California (this has happened before - I believe - and nothing got done then either). Sen. Steinberg has announced that the Senate Budget Committee will be composed of all 40 Senators. He said that the budget problem needs to be owned by everyone. Forgetting the logic of finding a space to hold hearings where all 40 Senators can be present - getting 40 Senators to a hearing is like herding cats. It won’t happen. And they haven’t come up with anything good when they work as a full Senate so far, so why is this time going to be any different?
It’s a recurring theme in these hard economic times that boosting government investment in roads and other public works - ie infrastructure projects - will jump-start the economy, create jobs and ultimately improve tax revenues.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will make that case today in Philadelphia when he meets with other governors and the incoming federal administration, President-elect Barack Obama and Vice-president-elect Joe Biden.
It doesn’t sound like the Governor is going to be asking for that big chunk of money from the federal government that Speaker Bass would like to have. Which is a good thing because the federal government doesn’t have any money to give away.
The National Governors’ Association is asking for a variety of aid from the new administration, including the speed up of about $136 billion in federal projects that are in the pipeline. This, so they say, will allow people to get jobs in the construction industry to help out all the economic troubles. But do we really want to be focused on those jobs as what we want to start-up our economy with? Why not try and get high-tech jobs in?
Meanwhile, the Service Employees International Union California Council and health care advocates, among others, will lay out their state budget suggestions at a Capitol news conference. SEIU released a budget-related TV ad on Monday, featuring President-elect Barack Obama. Lucky for all of us, the SEIU feels that raising taxes is something we can do. Too bad for everyone else, the SEIU is going to make sure their employees are proteted from tax raises. Afterall, their employees don’t make enough to raise taxes on them. But all the rest of us do. Really? I don’t want my taxes raised - especially not to pay for services that I am not using. Tax those who use the services. A $2.00 co-pay for a doctor’s visit isn’t much, and it help off-set the cost a little. Why should they get stuff for free?
Also at the Capitol, newly seated Sen. Mark Leno and his replacement in the Assembly, Tom Ammiano, will discuss legislative resolutions to urge the court to overturn voters’ approval of Proposition 8 last month. This shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone. These are the two most liberal legislators around (for now) and Leno has carried all kinds of liveral legislation for gay/lesbians. So no shocker here - just bad feelings and they are grumpy that their side didn’t win.
In San Francisco, a three-judge panel could issue a long-awaited decision on whether the state’s overcrowded prisons are hindering the delivery of adequate health care to inmates.
