Thread: CA: Reduce Budget Deficit - Get rid of Caucuses

Pete Stiglich, Dare I Say: No more sacred cows in Sacramento

Pete Stiglich
Updated: 01/22/2009 08:47:55 AM PST


For months now, Sacramento politicians have been battling over what to do to solve California's severe budget crisis. With the state facing a $41 billion deficit by next year, elected leaders are scrambling to figure out what to do next. None of the options look good.

Political parties appear entrenched in unyielding positions, all claiming the high ground on how best to solve the crisis. Unless solutions are agreed upon soon, the Golden State will run out of cash and soon have to pay its creditors with IOUs.

None of the solutions offered thus far have gained much traction. Instead, they are viewed as akin to football's proverbial Hail Mary pass. Rather than thoughtful, long term strategies, they appear as acts of true desperation.

Proposed budget solutions are as varied as they are many in number, with some being more extreme than others.

Release thousands of "non-violent" criminals from prison. Throw tens of thousands off Medicaid. Chop a week off the school year and reduce current fiscal year spending for public schools by $2.1 billion. Cut services to the disabled. Reduce state workers' pay by 10 percent through furloughs. Raise the state sales tax by 1.5 percent. Add a nickel-a-drink to all alcoholic beverages. Levy a 9.9 percent tax on each barrel of oil extracted from the state.

And they go on. Increase vehicle registration fees by $12 and driver's license fees by $3. Lower personal income tax credit for those with dependents to $103 per dependent from the current $209. Reduce funding for children's programs and the mentally ill. Borrow $5 billion against questionable future lottery sales. Sell another $5 billion in bonds. And on and on and on.

Like most desperation passes thrown in football, very few are successfully completed. I anticipate the same in this case. Any way you slice it, the proposed solutions remain acts of desperation, resulting from the lack of a clear vision, a lack of accountability and a lack of honesty by our elected representatives over the years.

As politicians struggle to find ways to climb out of our current financial mess, I might suggest they look for opportunities right under their capitol noses. It's one thing to talk the talk, but quite another to walk the walk.

Expecting taxpayers and those less fortunate to suffer all the pain is unfair, unreasonable and downright unacceptable. A little housekeeping and cost cutting in Sacramento would go a long way in restoring some confidence in the process and the leadership.

I spent a few minutes the other day checking out the legislature's annual report of expenses for the period December 2006 - November 2007, the most current period available. You can find it at www.legislature.ca.gov. Go to the Publications link and then click on Assembly Daily Journals. You'll want the November 30, 2008 regular session. The accounting portion begins at page 41. You can obtain Senate spending by choosing the Senate Daily Journal for the same day.

It only took minutes for me to find one area of the budget that could be immediately eliminated without the least bit of impact on taxpayers and legislative effectiveness. That area is Legislative Caucuses. Frankly, this should have been done a long time ago. The fact they remain in the budget today, given our current financial mess, is troubling to say the least.

There are, mind you, a total of 15 different caucus groups in the legislature. They include the Senate Democratic Caucus, Senate Republican Caucus, Assembly Democratic Caucus, Assembly Republican Caucus, Legislative Rural Caucus, Legislative Outdoor Sporting Caucus, Legislative Internet Caucus, Legislative Environmental Caucus, Legislative Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgenders Caucus, Legislative Black Caucus, Latino Legislative Caucus, Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, Environmental Caucus, Smart Growth Caucus and Legislative Women's Caucus.

As far as I m concerned, they all should be immediately done away with.

Caucus groups are, for all intents and purposes, simply clubs catering to one special interest group or another. Sanctioned by the majority party (in this case the democrats), they are accountable to no one, appear to serve no official purpose, are funded using taxpayer dollars and can be used to justify special budget allocations for staffing, travel and administrative expenses.

Believe me, there are plenty of groups in the private sector ready, willing and able to represent all kinds of special interest concerns. To have our elected officials, charged with equal representation for all, engaged in such behavior is appalling, divisive and unethical.

Speaking of equal representation, I can't but wonder why caucus groups are limited to just the select few. What about a Gun Owners' Caucus? How about a Pro-Life Caucus? And one for Taxpayers and Limited Government? I'm sure their absence in no way implies caucuses are only used by the majority party to push certain political and social agendas. For heaven's sake, I certainly wouldn't want to imply that.

Clearly, there is no need for any of these caucus groups. The Assembly and Senate already have a combined total of more than 110 standing committees, sub-committees, select committees and joint committees at their disposal representing all manner of interests. Cost to taxpayers is around $45 million each year to offset committee expenses.

I estimate taxpayers paid more than $22 million to sponsor Legislative Caucuses. One can only imagine how many teachers that money might employ. How many children might receive preventive health care. How many criminals might be kept in jail and off our streets.

OK, I admit the savings might seem like a drop in the bucket when you're faced with a $41 billion dollar budget deficit. But it's a start. If I can find $22 million in the first few minutes of my review, imagine how much more might be uncovered as a result of a thorough line by line budget audit. If our legislature is unwilling or unable to get the job done, then I must turn to the governor to exercise his line item veto authority over the budget and eliminate all such waste.

There can be no more sacred cows. We simply can't afford them.

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Col. Pete Stiglich, retired, served 26 years in the US Air Force and lives in Cottonwood. Write to him at peterstiglich@yahoo.com.

http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/opinion/ci_11527248

Amazing illegal immigration does not even come up as an option? This is a big problem because, during a disaster like this, which effects poor Americans, you would think the illegals would be the FIRST THING TO GO...

Not even on the list?? Thats POWER.

While I agree that caucuses should be done away with, but what about the millions of illegals that are getting a free ride at tax payer expense. That right there would take out most of the deficit alone if not all of it.

Originally Posted by dman1200

While I agree that caucuses should be done away with, but what about the millions of illegals that are getting a free ride at tax payer expense. That right there would take out most of the deficit alone if not all of it.

EXACTLY!

Release thousands of "non-violent" criminals from prison. Throw tens of thousands off Medicaid. Chop a week off the school year and reduce current fiscal year spending for public schools by $2.1 billion. Cut services to the disabled. Reduce state workers' pay by 10 percent through furloughs. Raise the state sales tax by 1.5 percent. Add a nickel-a-drink to all alcoholic beverages. Levy a 9.9 percent tax on each barrel of oil extracted from the state.

And they go on. Increase vehicle registration fees by $12 and driver's license fees by $3. Lower personal income tax credit for those with dependents to $103 per dependent from the current $209. Reduce funding for children's programs and the mentally ill. Borrow $5 billion against questionable future lottery sales. Sell another $5 billion in bonds. And on and on and on.

All of this just so they can support ILLEGAL ALIENS!