Posted by
grad_1986 on Wednesday, May 20, 2009 12:27:22 PM
Let me first say that measures 1A-1F were some of the most convoluted propositions I have ever read. Not in so much they were hard to understand, but instead were hard to pin down as either budget cuts or tax increases. The geniuses in Sacramento, purposely wrote the measures this way in order to "con" both sides of the voting aisle to think they were getting something out of this. As our California politicians try to read the "tea-leaves" of yesterday's voting my hope is that they will take note of the just how pathetically small the turn out was. Of course the big spenders will say the vote was against cutting the budget and the less-big-spenders (for in fact they are almost the same) will say it was a vote against tax increases.
But the fact that there was such a low turn out for these measures says something more. Something I have been saying for a long time myself, and that is, "It's YOUR job... now DO IT!". As I have written before, these weak-knee-ed kiss-up politicians (and I include Arnold in this list as well) are not wanting to make the hard choices all of us vote them into office to make. We are not buying their arguments that, "the prisons will be opened, your child won't have a teacher, your house will be robbed and then burned to the ground if we don't get the tax increases we need". That's like me cutting off my water, gas and electric to save money, but keeping my cable, internet, fitness-club and golf memberships. Sorry Arnold, but your as bad of an actor in real life as your are in the movies. Maybe you should hire Tom Cruise to do your speaking engagements.... I hear he's available.
Here are some suggestions:
1) Stop the defined-benefit payments to so-called "retired" state workers. No one in the real world has these anymore and neither should you. These retirement programs are bankrupting the system as you only have to serve 10 years to qualify for it.
2) Stop paying welfare to illegals. Times are tough and Americans deserves jobs. Its time for them to go home.
3) Redistribute the money for the "bullet-train" and "T-cell research" that we don't need and use it to pay for the prisons, police, fire and schools. Times are tough and the first thing you do is get rid of non-essentials items.
4) Open up your oil fields on land and off-shore and use that money to help pay for the budget.
5) Lower your corporate taxes to entice businesses to come back to California. It takes more than cute commercials with Arnold asking people to "Come to California" to make companies to want to move here. Right now people are exiting this state faster than the Israelites left Egypt following Moses.
In my opinion, specific budget issues NEVER belong in the voters hands. The average voter is incapable of determining what is right or wrong. Most do not understand the basics of economics and money. Many voters see the words "Bond Measure" and think "Oh, its not my money" or "Oh its not a tax increase". But in fact it is very much a tax increase. Not now, but sometime in the very near future. To me these props were a big waste of time and money. Money we don't have and I hold Arnold responsible for this.