...can the feds be more like Californians?

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

Dear Washington: Please Be More Like Sacramento (seriously)
June 22, 2011 by Jeff Schreiber

In case you missed it, government officials in California announced just yesterday that salary for state lawmakers would be suspended, as said lawmakers had yet to reach an agreement on a balanced budget plan. In summary: No budget, no pay.

According to MSNBC, state Controller John Chiang issued the decision after running the numbers on a budget package submitted by lawmakers last week. Gov. Brown vetoed the package on grounds that it depended too heavily on “billions more in borrowing” and “questionable maneuvers,” and Chiang, finding that the budget proposal did not meet the constitutional requirements for a balanced budget, released the following statement:

My office’s careful review of the recently passed budget found components that were miscalculated, miscounted or unfinished. The numbers simply did not add up, and the Legislature will forfeit their pay until a balanced budget is sent to the governor.

I never thought I would ever write or say such a thing, but for the first time that I can remember, I wish that our federal government could be more like California.

americasright.com/?p=7525

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...anybody else think they might agree with this?

[Mad Dawg Wiccan]

I do.

[Deleted]

I never thought I would ever write or say such a thing, but for the first time that I can remember, I wish that our federal government could be more like California.

[henryclay]

Like California? Hell NO!. The country is already TOO MUCH LIKE California.

Like one man in California? Like the one man with his thumb on the empty cash box in California? Hell YES. In fact, let's draft him and send hiim to take over the Treasury Department.

In the meantime, I'll be watching to see if the lawmakers out there grab their picket signs and chant epitets at John Chaing for standing up for the overburdened few of what's left paying the bills in California..

[hello fromWarsaw]

Sounds like a GD mess to me. I've been told Cal's problems are due to a Tea Party policy of government by referendum, includinga very large majority necessary to raise taxes, which has also made for ridiculous fees. ?? (although of course I'm right...) ;D

[Deleted]

Politicians not getting paid until they do their job?? Oh, heck yeah!!!! Good job, CA!!!! Wow, I'm not used to saying that...

[henryclay]

Yeah, Warsaw. Those Tea Party people who want the government to manage its money like a family has to are just tearing the country apart. Tearing it apart, l I tell you.

[Mad Dawg Wiccan]

Sounds like a GD mess to me. I've been told Cal's problems are due to a Tea Party policy of government by referendum, includinga very large majority necessary to raise taxes, which has also made for ridiculous fees. ?? (although of course I'm right...)

You are correct only in that CA is a mess. The referendum process has been used for decades before the Tea Party ever showed up. That process was used last November to drop the supermajority (66%) approval needed to pass a budget containing tax hikes down to a simple majority. You think the Tea Party was behind that? The mess here is caused by the same thing as the Feds; they spend more than they take in.

[hello fromWarsaw]

Not today's Tea Party, Howard what'sisname back in the 70's. Glad to hear they changed that- I was astounded by the fees there...

Today's Tea Party has been taken for a ride too.

[henryclay]

California was ripped and flapping in the wind long before the Tea Party came onto the scene.

I agree, and that fact reduces any, (more like all), reference to government money problems being aggravated by the Tea Party as just undiciplined left wing rants.

[henryclay]

"........Today's Tea Party has been taken for a ride too........."

Link/s please.

[privateinvestor]

This was a ballot measure out here in CA and I voted YES for it....if the legislators cannot do their job then they don't get paid and they can deal with it or not..

The Controller has been on all the TV networks out here and he is not budging despite threats of law suits and angry politicians who want him to be tarred and feathered and run out of Sacramento on a rail..

[Mad Dawg Wiccan]

Brown has the line item veto, I have to wonder why he didn't just use it.

[privateinvestor]

Jun 22, 2011 18:11:18 GMT -5 Mad Dawg Wiccan said:

Brown has the line item veto, I have to wonder why he didn't just use it.

Brown has to abide by this law or run the risk of angering the CA voters who approved this measure to not pay the state legislators if they cannot provide a budget for his signature.

The ball is in the Controller's court and he is not going to sign any paychecks for the legislators until they perform the job they are being paid to do..

I think it is great to see our CA whiny legislators on TV crying about not having any money to pay their bills.....all I can say is "Deal With It"....

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

<<< I think it is great to see our CA whiny legislators on TV crying about not having any money to pay their bills.....all I can say is "Deal With It".... >>>

...best entertainment on TV right now, huh?

[hello fromWarsaw]

Thanks to Boooosh and Pubs for the Great Recession, the ridiculous wars, and now the "austerity" that is killing state budgets and the recovery. I know, let's destroy medicare and cut taxes on the megarich! Bachmann 2012! ;D

[henryclay]

Bachmann 2012!

I'd go for that today. But the contest hasn't even started yet. It may begin tonight when Allen West eats Obama's lunch.

[hello fromWarsaw]

That'll happen ;D

[Mad Dawg Wiccan]

Brown has to abide by this law or run the risk of angering the CA voters who approved this measure to not pay the state legislators if they cannot provide a budget for his signature.

You misunderstood; why didn't he use his line item veto to "line out" certain spending items?
I think he's afraid to take blame for the cuts all on his own head.