EDITORIAL: Governor, it\'s time to kick some legislative booty

Tag : slip-on shoe
EDITORIAL: Governor, it's time to kick some legislative booty (Bakersfield Californian, The (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge)Jul. 20--Do you know what a "ripoff" is? It is whenDemocrats and Republicans in Sacramento don't have the interest orthe guts to fix the state's budget mess, so they allow the pain toroll downhill to the cities and counties Californians rely on fortheir day-to-day government services.



So Democrats can keep spending and Republicans can keep saying"no" to closing tax loopholes and raising taxes, plansare taking shaping to raid local government funds held by the statefor "safe keeping."

Earlier raids on local government funds occurred when state budgetssank into deep deficit holes. But voters may have thought theyblocked the move when they approved the governor's 2004 megabondsfor rebuilding California. The ballot measures included borrowinglimits that allow legislators and the governor to"transfer" funds only in two budget years per decade. Themoney has to be paid back.

The idea was to allow the state to use "special fund"money to plug short-term budget holes, not to enable thecontinuance of a dysfunctional budgeting system. But guess what,legislators are eyeing this money to avoid making tough politicalchoices and reforming the way state government is financed.

Facing a $15.2 billion deficit, legislators are consideringgrabbing money from local government and transportation funds. JimEarp, executive director of California Alliance for Jobs, toldSacramento reporters that legislators also may siphon offtransportation funds from the sales tax on gasoline.

This news comes as the Kern County Board of Supervisors beginshearings Monday on the county's budget a lean spending plan thatcalls for 16 layoffs, shorter library hours and browner countyparks. The library and county parks systems are expected to beparticularly hard-hit in this budget. A total of 54 countypositions would be eliminated.

Last month, the Bakersfield City Council approved a budget thatkept 60 open positions unfilled and eliminated five more. Localschool districts and other government agencies have cut staffs andeliminated programs. All are waiting for the other shoe to fall theconsequences of state budget decisions.

We have seen it year after year. There's the outright borrowing.This year, that also could mean borrowing from voter-established"special funds," such as unspent First 5 (Proposition 10tobacco tax) money and Proposition 63 mental health money. EvenProposition 42 money the huge bond measure we were promised wouldrebuild California's crumbling roads system is being targeted.

Then there's responsibility shifting a subtle ripoff, where thestate keeps mandating that services be provided, but shifts thecost to local government.

The big problem with all this borrowing is that it doesn't fixanything. It just allows lawmakers and the governor to keep doingwhat they've been doing without fixing the state's budget machine.

And what are lawmakers and the governor doing about this? Not much.Adoption of the state budget is more than two weeks overdue.Democrats are drawing lines in the sand over cutting programs. Theyhave also proposed billions in new taxes, mostly targeting therich. Republicans are refusing to close tax loopholes not even theyacht tax scam and holding their collective breaths on tax raising.

And the governor? Well, he's getting impatient. He told TheSacramento Bee that he really didn't "want to interfere"with legislators' deliberative process, but "it's almost likethere is no emergency there. ... At one point or the other, youhave to say, like they do with labor negotiations, 'let us sit inthe room and not leave the room until it's done.'"

Yawn. The Governator's words and leadership are underwhelming.

Here's an idea, Arnold. Slip on one of your action-figure costumesand start acting like a big bad governor. Kick a little legislativebooty and get these budget talks going. Adopt a responsiblespending plan.

Oh, and while you're at it, make good on your promise to actuallyfix our dysfunctional state government, rather than just enablingit.

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