  |
Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, urges lawmakers to vote for the Democrats budget plan on Tuesday at the state Capitol. KENT PORTER/PD
By DEREK MOORE
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
SACRAMENTO — Even as they spoke of the need for compromise, state lawmakers lined up Tuesday along party lines to reject two competing state budget plans, raising the possibility of an even longer delay as the state’s fiscal crisis worsens by the day.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders expressed hope prior to Tuesday’s outcome that lawmakers might find common ground by airing out their views on what is needed to bridge the state’s budget gap, which is at $19 billion and growing.
But after a full morning of debate Tuesday in both houses of the Legislature, lawmakers seemed more divided than ever. Separate budget plans floated by Schwarzenegger and Democrats went down to defeat Tuesday strictly along party lines.
It’s now an open question how the Democratic majority can convince three Republicans in the Assembly and four in the Senate to cross those lines to achieve a budget deal that Schwarzenegger will sign.
With Tuesday marking the end of the Legislature’s regular calendar, the governor was expected to call a special session that would keep lawmakers in Sacramento, presumably until they reach a compromise.
That’s assuming all parties involved actually want to broker a deal.
Schwarzenegger said he will hold out as long as it takes, including up until the day he leaves office in January, unless he gets the tax, pension and budget changes he is seeking.
Then there are the November elections, which are the subtext to any budget discussion.
“My fear is that there is a little bit of four-corner offense here, and we’re going to run out the clock until the election, and let the state gradually shut down in the next few weeks,” said Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, whose district includes southern Sonoma County.
Huffman said he disagreed with that tactic, and called on leaders in both parties to conduct intense budget negotiations in coming days. Rank-and-file members of the Legislature should be involved in that process, he said.
“Along with the general public, we watch and wait for our leaders to produce a deal. I find that process to be less than satisfying,” Huffman said.
Lawmakers on Tuesday agreed on the importance of creating new jobs in a state where unemployment hovers at 12 percent and to not make more cuts to the state’s already ailing education system.
But they differed on the means to accomplish those goals.
Assembly Speaker John Perez said Schwarzenegger’s budget plan would have increased the unemployment rate by 2 percent in the state, resulting in 400,000 fewer jobs. He said the governor’s plan to trim state-subsidized child care would force the closure of 50,000 small businesses.
Perez also called the governor’s plan to eliminate the state’s welfare-to-work program “cruel and unnecessary.”
On the other hand, Perez said the Democrats’ plan — which he referred to as the “California jobs budget” — would stimulate the economy.
“No Republican can say with any honesty that Democrats have not met you halfway,” Perez said on the Assembly floor.
Republicans, however, said the Democrats’ proposal amounted to more than $4 billion in new taxes, which they said would drive more businesses from the state and burden Californians who are already struggling to make ends meet.
“If you support California having the third-highest unemployment rate behind Nevada and Michigan, then this is your budget,” state Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Thousand Oaks, said during Tuesday’s debate.
Asked where the two sides might find common ground, Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, said Democrats have compromised enough already. The burden of doing more falls onto the governor and Republicans, she said. While she is open to more “tweaks,” Evans said she will not support any budget plan that includes more cuts to education or child-care services.
She characterized the situation as one of Republicans being “in denial, and Democrats who have cut to the bone.”
Sen. Pat Wiggins, D-Santa Rosa, was again absent from Sacramento on Tuesday as she battles undisclosed health issues that have kept her away from the Capitol for most of the year.
Wiggins last voted on a bill in June, casting her vote while standing in the press bay with staff.
Senate leaders and Wiggins’ staff said on Tuesday that she is prepared to come to Sacramento if it appears that enough Republicans support a budget deal to give it a realistic chance of passing. Two-thirds of the Assembly and Senate must approve the budget to send it to the governor’s desk.
Judging by Tuesday’s debate, that scenario appears some time off.
Critics characterized the events Tuesday as a waste of time, or as Sen. Sam Blakeslee, R-San Luis Obispo, put it, the equivalent of “fiddling while Rome is burning.”
But other lawmakers said they appreciated the opportunity to discuss the differences that divide them, even as they stood firm on their positions.
“This debate is about choices, and how to minimize the dismantling of this great state of California,” Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, said on the Senate floor. “Proceed with caution.”
Subscribe by Email
Follow us on Twitter
Over 50% of the budget is welfare type programs and they want more. You can’t give away people’s money, taxes, to these programs and then expect people to say, “Go ahead and raise my taxes to pay out more.” The entire state should be audited and these programs cut or reduced. No one will die. California will just drop out of first place as the welfare capitol of the country. That is not a bad thing. The people who stay will learn to make it with less, like the rest of us. Those who want more welfare will do their research and move to those states that provide it.
If it only takes a simple majority to pass a budget, they can put through anything they want and shove it down our throats. Any compromise should not have ANY increases in it at all. They already cut workers pay so they can’t claim they are giving it to them. It is all for more taxes for more programs. End the madness.
@Lisa
I think you have a rather short view of history. The increased DMV fee amounted to 4 billion whilst California’s present deficit is around 19 billion. So I am a bit confused on how you arrive at it accounting for the whole deficit.
Not to mention the fact that the 2% car tax was repealed about a month after it was instituted so it’s not like that money had been lost because the govnernment never had it in the first place.
@Lisa
At least do a little budget research before going off on a political rant. The years in which Calif’s budget literally took off are clear for anyone who cares to look.
Grey Davis was governor and Democrats controlled the legislature when the budget jumped 50% in a few years. Spending programs were adopted that were sustainable only in the go-go years of the high tech bubble. With its collapse, it didn’t take long for reality to intrude.
Often Republicans went along, anxious to claim some credit for the extra goodies. And today they’ve buried their heads in a no-new-taxes pledge, while being unable to identify cuts sufficient to right Calif’s sinking fiscal ship of state.
I’ve give Steinberg credit for putting a credible plan on the table. But Democrats are embracing it with the same enthusiasm House Republicans have created Rep Ryan’s tough-love plan.
The GOP has pledged alleigance to Grover Norquist and refuses to put California ahead of their own political interests. Vote them out! The Democrats have compromised, cutting programs and reducing budgets where possible. The fact is that the state has never recovered from Governor Schwarzeneggers insane repeal of the vehicle fee and instead of his much vaunted pledge to “blow up the boxes” when coming into office, the Governor has instead blown up the state. Unless you want another 12 years of this incredible foolishness vote Democratic so we can get California working again.
An honest budget??? Really? Fact is there is NO MONEY. You selfish jerks have overspent and refuse to be fiscally responsible. You have STOLEN our childrens and grand childrens future by spending every last cent for your own greedy “needs”.Do you people even understand BASIC MATH?? simple economics? Its a mathematical CERTAINTY that we go bankrupt.
Just a matter of when?. vote em out…
With both Republicans and Democrats gaming the budget issue for political purposes, it’s difficult to know which party to dislike the most. Neither proposes an honestly balanced budget.
For fiscal 2010, state receipts were $86.6B; state disbursements, $86.7B. Hmm, where’s the deficit? It’s mostly carryover from the previous year. Presumably it’s most of this year’s problem as well.
Both parties are content to kick this problem down road again and again and again, which I guess is good preparation for advancement to the U.S. Congress.
How do these people get into office? What a stupid question. The public unions put them there spending millions of dollars to make sure their nests are feathered. Evans says she will not compromise anymore on education and child care services. That decision will probably be taken out of her hands by bankrupcy. Education needs reform at all levels. How can the state legislature believe its delivering quality service given the math and reading scores? Is child care services really the most important government issue? What about the state economy and jobs? The Democrats are the problem not the solution.
This dysfunctional state government needs reform now.
The Democrats won’t give an inch because they want to change the law so they only need a simple majority to pass a budget. Nevermind that people are not getting paid. This is strongarm politics and all they care about is winning. Do we really want Noreen Evans advancing to the State Senate and taking Pat Wiggins seat? We will be sure to have more of the same, especially is Michael Allen gets Evans seat in the Assembly. If you want change in the state government, vote these two out. Well, Allen’s never been elected to anything but let’s keep it that way. Let’s try some new people to represent our area.