4 ms·

I'm often surprised to see that few people get what's going on. Jerry Brown wants to raise taxes (yet again). But the public at large is tired of waste, and re

by ajays 15y ago

I'm often surprised to see that few people get what's going on. Jerry Brown wants to raise taxes (yet again). But the public at large is tired of waste, and refuses to go along. So the Governor proposes cuts to those things that cause maximum pain to the public: state parks, libraries, etc. A fairer approach would, say, cut funding across the board. A $30M budget item in a $100Billion budget works out to, 0.03% ? If he did that, no one would notice and no one would yelp in pain. So, to drive the point home and make the public notice, you go for the public's soft spots. The first thing Jerry Brown did when he took office was to sign contracts with the powerful unions in the state. Once they were happy, he turned around and started crying about the budget. Since their contracts are signed now, they can't be subject to these budget cuts; base secured! More on California's budget woes: http://www.vanityfair.com/business/features/2011/11/michael-lewis-201111 http://www.vanityfair.com/business/features/2011/11/michael-...

jbooth 15y ago
"So the Governor proposes cuts to those things that cause maximum pain to the public: state parks, libraries, etc." You're bringing me back here. I was a selectman once in a small town in massachusetts, we had budget problems, put the option to a town in a vote: raise taxes or we lay off teachers. Know what we got from the taxpayers? "How DARE you threaten to lay off teachers unless we let you raise taxes". It's as if there's some giant line-item labeled WASTE somewhere, and Brown is stubbornly refusing to cut it and insisting on cutting useful things instead, in order to fulfill his liberal dream of taxing people. I'll admit that I don't know the ins and the outs of the california budget. But I'd imagine he's cutting everything except for the things he's legally not allowed to cut, and attempting to save "must-haves" like emergency response at the expense of luxuries like parks and libraries.
- ajays 15y ago
  The stories of waste in California's budget are legendary. There's a reason why a study showed that given a choice between Harvard and the California Prison Guards' academy, you are better off if you pick becoming a prison guard!

by ajays 15y ago

jbooth 15y ago

"So the Governor proposes cuts to those things that cause maximum pain to the public: state parks, libraries, etc." You're bringing me back here. I was a selectman once in a small town in massachusetts, we had budget problems, put the option to a town in a vote: raise taxes or we lay off teachers. Know what we got from the taxpayers? "How DARE you threaten to lay off teachers unless we let you raise taxes". It's as if there's some giant line-item labeled WASTE somewhere, and Brown is stubbornly refusing to cut it and insisting on cutting useful things instead, in order to fulfill his liberal dream of taxing people. I'll admit that I don't know the ins and the outs of the california budget. But I'd imagine he's cutting everything except for the things he's legally not allowed to cut, and attempting to save "must-haves" like emergency response at the expense of luxuries like parks and libraries.

ajays 15y ago
The stories of waste in California's budget are legendary. There's a reason why a study showed that given a choice between Harvard and the California Prison Guards' academy, you are better off if you pick becoming a prison guard!