CA State Dems are Politically Incompetent

I feel outraged!

I am sick and tired of politicians acting irresponsibly by spending money without fiscal discipline and then trying to increase our taxes.

THE PROBLEM

California faces a budget deficit of $18 billion dollars.

CALIFORNIA'S 2/3 REQUIREMENT

In California, taxes can only be raised by a 2/3 vote in the Assembly and Senate. Although Democrats are by far the dominant force politically, they need Republican crossover votes in order to reach the 2/3 threshold.Republicans refuse to vote for a tax increase.

MY OUTRAGE

The Democrats are trying to use a loophole in the law to increase fees with a simple majority vote - as opposed to the two-thirds vote.

The scheme is to call some of the revenues "fees" instead of taxes. I believe this is both illegal and against the will of the voters.

On Thursday, California Democratic lawmakers voted in their proposal. The governor vetoed the measure but failed to point out the illegality of what the Democrats were trying to do. The measure is not completely dead though because Democrats plan to re-negotiate with the Governor and pass a similar measure.

HOW WOULD THIS AFFECT CALIFORNIANS?

- Sales taxes would increase by three-fourths of a cent.
- Gas taxes would go up by 13.5 cents per gallon.
- A surcharge of 2.5% would be added to income taxes.

I am totally blown away that Democrats would actually try to raise taxes during a recession. 1 out of 12 people are out of work in California and over the last 4 years, more people have left the state than moved in. Time for another recall!

Blog block

It's been several weeks since my last blog. Many personal issues have occupied my time. I fell sick with a nasty flu and didn't want to do anything. On a positive note, I had a wonderful time celebrating with my parents, family, and girlfriend in Vegas.

Okay, also I have felt scattered because so much stuff is going on in the world. I started drafts on 10 different blogs and I keep jumping around and not finishing any of them.I'm having blog block!

So ...

I need your help with the topic of my next blog! Here's the list, but feel free to suggest your own.

THE LIST
- The California budget crisis and what should be done about it.
- Can a President really be moral or does the duty to protect make it necessary to take immoral actions in the name of saving our country? Are these actions really immoral?
- Is Obama really someone new and inspiring or just another well packaged politician?
- Did Obama tout certain positions during the election in order to get elected with no intention of carrying them out? If so, does that make him a bad person or a smart politician? Is it just compromise and political reality?
- Was this whole financial bailout a waste of money? Does anyone in Washington really know what they're doing?
- Can we afford Universal Health Care? Can Congress improve quality and compassionate care for those of us that currently do have insurance?
- Community mental health is a broken and hazardous system and most people would be horrified to know the internal workings of the system. I could share.
- Are Democrat plans to tackle renewable energy, stem cell research, and expanding children's health insurance the right priorities?
- What strategy should Republicans take next if they want to win?
- Are California politics so bought and influenced by special interests and arranged in safe districts that there is little hope for real change?

Alright, so what the heck should I blog about next? Place your vote at the top right of this page.