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Schwartzenegger to Lincoln & Columbus - Ged Oudda Heah!

10-15 ca holidays

According to his press flacks, Gov. Schwarzenegger has nothing against Abe Lincoln or Chris Columbus, he just doesn't think state workers need to get a paid holiday off to celebrate them anymore. Worried about his legacy as a tax & spend Republican, Gov. Arnhole has proposed this sweeping CUT to a state budget faced with an estimated $24 Billion shortfall next year, $28 Billion by 2010..

Frequent readers may recall our saga this year with a state budget deficit approaching $15 Billion. (It's All About the Balls and Nice Budget Boys & Girls). A budget was finally passed more than 90 days after it was due so our lawmakers could get on to their much needed vacations and get a little facetime at the national conventions. They hadn't been gone but three (count 'em - 3) weeks when it became obvious the new budget wasn't worth the toilet paper it was scribbled on so the Gov. has called them back into a lame duck session to deal with an 'unanticipated' shortfall of another $3 - $4 Billion.

So far our illustrious Gov. has proposed adding another 1 1/2 cents to our sales tax. With California already the highest sales tax state in the country, this move will cement that position with cash registers adding as much as $.10 to every dollar you spend in some cities.

Arnhole has also proposed raising the state income tax. Again, we are among the top 3 in the nation for personal income tax but why settle for #2 or #3 when you can be #1? The neat thing about this is we'll pay higher state taxes but be able to write it off our Federal taxes. So we can rob Peter, pay Paul, and then bitch about it when Peter doesn't pony up to rescue the state default. Yeah, I like the sound of that.

Of course the holiday issue is an easy target. California state workers get more paid holidays than any other state in the union today with 14 paid days off. New Jersey gets 13 and the national average is 11. And the savings will go a long way toward reducing that $24 Billion deficit. The Gov. figures this will save the state $114 million. Jeez, if we could just eliminate the rest of the holidays we could save nearly $1 Billion - only $23 more to go. He does have a partner proposal to this one which is to have all state workers take off 1 day a month without pay. That, he figures, would add another $714 million to the coffers. No mention of a potential loss of productivity by reducing the state workforce by one day per month. Maybe that tells us more about the productivity of state workers than we want to know, eh?

If you want to get your PC knickers in a bunch - Of the 14 holidays, only Lincoln and Columbus are on the block. Apparently their contributions to our nation and state are not on a par with Cesar Chavez - his holiday is safe, or Martin Luther King Jr. - likewise safe. Fortunately The Gov. did veto a bill this year that would have designated a holiday for Harvey Milk, San Francisco's first openly Gay supervisor (yeah, the movie guy). No doubt his holiday would have eliminated the need to celebrate Washington's birthday from the schedule.

Amazingly (or not), this $114 million cut is THE ONLY CUT thus far proposed by Arnhole. The rest is all tax, tax and revenue enhancement. Growth in our state government has far outpaced the real growth of our state the past decade and far outstripped even the exponential revenue increases experienced during the real estate boom years. Now that that source of revenue has ended, there is still no will amongst our liberal Democratic controlled legislature to reduce spending or shrink government. Rather the solution is to increase taxes, sales tax, income tax and tax on services. Keep your eyes on the Federal Government, folks. You think it's bad now? You ain't seen nothing yet.

Well, that's just my opinon - I could be wrong. (I hope I am but history has shown otherwise).

Posted by Gene Wunderlich - Realtor®, Government Affairs Director on 11/15/2008 01:13 PM

Comments (9)

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9 Comments on Schwartzenegger to Lincoln & Columbus - Ged Oudda Heah!

NOV

2008

I agree. It's bad and it's going to get worse. I just posted some sold stats on a web page today and the county averages are down significantly. All that means is that the real estate revenues will also be shrinking.

Draconian budget cuts are necessary. If the states keep raising taxes, wait until the federal taxes start hitting, more folks lose their jobs and the cost of food, clothing etc. keeps going through the roof.

It ain't gonna be purddy.

Seems to me that a few oil companies would pay big Billions to sink some wells off the California coast. I bet California could close that $24,000,000,000 short fall in a nano-second if they put offshore drilling out to bid.

No. Better to close schools, libraries, cultivate some pot holes in the roads and tax food about 15%. I think we need to go back to victory gardens. Of course, that remedy goes for Washington, Oregon, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida.

The gulf states are way ahead, but could probably imporve.

It may not be a solution that satisfies everyone but it's a choice. Much higher taxes or drill. It's the only solution that doesn't cost the tax payer. It's also the only thing that will contribute to fuel Independence that doesn't cost the tax payer.

We have an approximate $2,000,000,000,000 shortfall. Where is the money going to come from?

State workers should be paid well. The problem is three accomplish what two could do with out sweating in the private sector.

Lenn - yeah Arnhole has put off-shore driling off the table. They keep bringing up the disaster that occurred in 1982 or something off Santa Barbara. Of course technology has made vast improvements since then as witnessed by the lack of catastrophic failures in the gulf during Katrina and other events. But reality has no impact on this emotional issue. This announcement comes on page one today where later in the issue the Gov is also advocating increased spending to boost awareness of catastrophic global warming and urge environmental compliance with yet unspecified regulations on our state industries. They can't leave California fast enough. The Feds aren't going to get any better either.

Anonymous - you are partially correct. While it takes may only take 3 state workers to accomplish what 2 private sector workers would, it also requires at least one supervisor plus someone to oversee the department, another person to assure workforce compliance with state mandates and regulatory issues, yet another to make sure the appropriate paperwork is filed with the appropriate agencies to apply for future grants, an ombudsman to perform 'community outreach', a liaison to the Governors office, a lobbyist ....

Gene- I just crack up with your satiric humor. I love reading your post, at least you can put a smile on my face in this time of overspending and taxing us up to and soon after death. I am so sick of taxes and write a lot about keeping taxes low. I am surprised that Arnold has not done more to cut spending. When he ran for office, he ran on no more special interests.

Why do businesses stay in CA? We would love to have them here! No state income tax. No sales tax on food.

Hmmm, I suppose it is politically correct to take away Lincoln and Columbus day but obviously not so for Chavez day! I did not even know you had the Chavez day!

And the global warming thing is a huge scam, just follow the money!

I HAVE A TRUE STORY.

I was driving in front of NASA in Greenbelt, MD one day last Spring. There, in a little island in from of the gated entrance, were three landscapers.

One was holding a basket of Geranium plants. Another was punching holes in the soil and the third was dropping the plants in the ground.

True story. I wish I could have gotten a picture but traffic prevented me from getting back.

Gene, One thing I have to say for California, It makes me feel just a little better about New jersey. I heard they may be looking at Corzine for a spot in Obamas government, I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Lenn - did you notice the two supervisors asleep over in the truck? That's a great story. At least we're not alone in our misery in CA.

N & K - I think a sense of humor is important and will become even more so in the months and years ahead. The alternative is too depresseing.

A lot of us are disappointed that Arnold hasn't done more to cut spending. He came in with a clear mandate, got shut down on a couple early efforts and apparently just decided to abandon the fight. Businesses are leaving here in every increasing numbers. I'm part of a couple Chamber of Commerce Business Advocacy groups and we spend more time trying to keep existing businesses from leaving than we do attracting new ones to the state. That's a sad commentary but not likely to change anytime soon. Our legislature has been controlled by Liberal Democrats for decades and the amazing fact is that 80% of them have NEVER held a real job where they had to make a payroll, support employees, attract customers, etc. In one form or another they've been oin the public dole their entire career. It's no wonder they have no empathy for the workers or small business owners, they've never had to walk a mile in our shoes.

Hugh - California is a great example state - an example of what not to do. In spite of our abundant natural beauty, resources and attractions, we have bungled it worse than probably any other state. Our education system makes Mississippi & Arkansas feel good, our state legislature makes DC look functional, our housing market makes Florida look robust - the list goes on. This is how bad it is - while they're talking about Corzine - we don't even have anybody on the national radar for Obama positions. Who in their right mind would want Nancy Pelosi or Barbara Boxer. Puhleeze.

NOV

2008

Gene- and it is generational too, like Pelosi's daughter now is following in her mother's footsteps. We have term limits in Florida, 2 terms. Very low pay so you can not make a living on it, you have to have a business or a job that will allow you time away to serve the state.

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