Overspending isn't California's problem

[Live and Learn]

This is a great article.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cap-budget-20120628,0,6043219,print.column

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cap-budget-20120628,0,3066275.column?track=rss

Overspending isn't California's problem
Face it: More budget cuts won't pay for everything the state needs.
George Skelton

Capitol Journal

June 28, 2012

SACRAMENTO — It's budget time in Sacramento, so conservative politicians are dusting off an old shop-worn mantra.

All together: We don't have a revenue problem, folks, we have a spending problem.

<snip>

As a proportion of Californians' personal income, total state spending will be only slightly higher in the new budget than it was during Ronald Reagan's final year as governor in 1974. Spending out of the general fund — the state's deficit-plagued main cash box — will be slightly lower than under Reagan.

<snip>

Neither are state pensions busting the state, despite the brouhaha.

Yes, many local governments are straining under the weight of retirement burdens. But they're not a significant cause of Sacramento's red ink. Only 2.4% of the general fund will be spent on pension contributions for state employees. Even a 401(k) plan could cost that much.

[msongs]

1. jerry brown and the dems need to explain this often in a PR campaign nt

[Live and Learn]

3. And in simple terms with facts like the author did.

Unfortunately, if you read the comments, not even the facts seem to matter much these days.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

11. "Unfortunately, if you read the comments, not even the facts seem to matter much these days".

No kidding. California is chock full of people who are as racist as Southerners only against "Mexicans".

I put "Mexicans" in quotes because a lot of them aren't even FROM Mexico. A lot of them are decedents of the people who were already here when California became a State. California was PART of Mexico. To listen to White People here you would think there was the Mexican War fought over the Alamo and all the Mexicans were driven over the border and they've been sneaking back over ever since, some of them dropping babies and saying they're now citizens.

These racists will settle for nothing less than running off every single person who's brown and making California a "Mexican Free Zone". Doesn't MATTER if your family was here before 1850 and your great, great, great grandfather voted for Statehood. You're a "Mexican". They want them to get the hell out of THEIR country so they can live in the REAL America which is, of course, White America.

They get pissed off when they pick up their kids at school and see "Mexican" kids and hate that their tax dollars are paying to educate them which they feel is a waste of time because they aren't good for anything but lawn care. The idea of "Mexicans" getting ANY government money drives them insane. One of the comments over there says he wouldn't mind polluting the waters of the Pacific with their corpses and that was enthusiastically supported by others.

You know, there was a time when Republicans tried to get votes from everyone. But the Right Wing these days acts like getting votes from Hispanics is treason not only to America, but treason to the White Race.

[Live and Learn]

12. So true. Seems their goal of dividing and conquering us is working. nt

[HiPointDem]

2. kr

[Egalitarian Thug]

4. He doesn't name it specifically, but California's revenue problems all come back to prop 13.

And just like a good auto dealership, the suckers all believe they got a deal.

[Live and Learn]

6. That was a huge part of it. nt

[GObamaGO]

8. Exactly

And Prop 13 is not likely to ever be overturned, or even reformed significantly.

[TahitiNut]

5. Just tax the smokers more.

Imbeciles.

[xchrom]

7. Du rec. Nt

[badtoworse]

9. Is anyone in California clamoring for a tax increase?

[Live and Learn]

10. Brown is, for those making over 250k, I believe.

He is going to put it on the ballot, It might even pass.

[NNN0LHI]

13. Similar problem as we are having

My wife and I were never big spenders either. But my pension has been cut while our property taxes and insurance have been increasing which was leaving our home budget short.

Luckily we have went through this type of thing before, several times actually, so I knew we had to find ways to cut back on our spending or we would have been on the road to the poor house.

Now with the lower income but less spending we seem to be holding our own.

We just had to make some adjustments and figure out how to not spend so much. We did that and seem to be doing fine now.

Don