Thread: CA:Gov, Dems still at odds; GOP left out of budget talks

Governor, Democrats still at odds; GOP left out of budget talks
By Don Thompson
The Associated Press
Saturday, December 27, 2008


SACRAMENTO Hopes by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic lawmakers that they would strike a budget deal by weeks end fizzled Friday, with both sides saying theyll try again next week.

They are trying to agree on the details of a tax-and-cut package worth $18 billion that is needed to close a growing gap between state spending and revenue.

Republican lawmakers have been left out of the discussions because they refuse to sign on to any deal that includes a tax increase. Democrats and Schwarzenegger say the size of the deficit is so large that spending cuts alone will not be enough.

Californias deficit is projected to hit $42 billion over the next 18 months.

Senate leader Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, and Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, were in the Capitol on Friday, where they met for about two hours via videoconference with Schwarzenegger, who is vacationing in Idaho.

Both said talks were going well but declined to specify which details are keeping them from reaching a final agreement with Schwarzenegger, who wants additional steps to stimulate Californias economy. He also wants more concessions from state employees, including eliminating two of their 14 paid holidays.

The areas of negotiation have significantly narrowed, Steinberg told reporters after emerging from the governors office. Its time now to close the negotiations to go into this new year with the wind at our back.

The governor isnt yet satisfied that the legislation does enough to create more public-private partnerships on infrastructure projects, speed the projects construction and ease environmental regulations, Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear said.

He continues to push for deeper cuts and an economic stimulus package that creates jobs, McLear said. You cant make these cuts and raise revenues to this magnitude without creating jobs to balance the effects of those cuts and revenues.

He said its the same outline Schwarzenegger has given to lawmakers several times since November.

They know exactly where he stands, what he needs to support this, McLear said. Were not there yet, but were making progress.

Steinberg said Democrats have met the Republican governor more than halfway on his economic stimulus requirements.

Bass said Democrats continue insisting that any concessions by state employees be negotiated through employee unions.

Steinberg and Bass said they were likely to meet with Schwarzenegger on Monday and hoped to bring a revised budget package to a vote by the end of next week.

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2 ... ft-out-of/

They STILL don't get it, do they?


Republican lawmakers have been left out of the discussions because they refuse to sign on to any deal that includes a tax increase.


Since when is THIS okay? In case the democratshaven't noticed, we DO have a multi-party form of government.

Where the hell does anyone get off cutting one party out of the mix because they won't go along with the program?


Democrats and Schwarzenegger say the size of the deficit is so large that spending cuts alone will not be enough.

Oh really? And have they tried totally eliminating spending on illegal aliens?

Nope.

Try that and just see what happens.......they might find out that spending cuts work wonders after all

It's starting to look more and more like the voting public knew what was best back in 94 when they passed prop 187.

However someone cried and some freaking judge stepped in and overturned the will of the people and setup this mess to happen.

Isn't La county alone spending upwards of 40 million a MONTH on foodstamps and welfare for illegals?

This isn't something that happened overnight;
Failure to enact prop 187 14 years ago set the State of Ca for this failure.
Now the state is in financial turmoil and over-run with illegal alien social service suckers.

This was totally preventable by using common sense and listening to the will of the people.

They still refuse to see where a large portion of their problems are coming from and they expect the rest of America to bail them out....NO IT IS TIME TO GET TUFF WITH ILLTGAL ALIENS!!! TELL THEM TO RETURN TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES !!