Now it's going to start getting ugly

[The Big Dog]

Republicans in the Legislature successfully blocked a proposed budget Sunday night. While given that the state has been without a budget for 49 days might be seen as a bad thing, the fact that it failed to come anywhere near a two thirds majority should sound alarm bells and give the whiff of something being rotten in Excremento.

Assembly Democrats' budget bill fails

Matthew Yi, John Wildermuth, Chronicle Staff Writers
Monday, August 18, 2008

A revised budget proposal by Assembly Democrats failed Sunday night in the lower house of the state Legislature during an unusual weekend session that quickly morphed into nearly five hours of finger-pointing that didn't end the 48-day budget stalemate.

The 45-30 vote fell well short of the 54 "yes" votes needed to satisfy the two-thirds majority required. And the lengthy session gave no indication the Democrats would get additional Republican votes needed to pass their spending plan.

<< snipped >>

Democrats presented what they billed as a compromise proposal that would close the state's $15.2 billion budget gap with a combination of tax increases and spending cuts.

"Nothing in this budget is easy," said Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz. "I believe the cuts go too far in some instances, and I'm unhappy to see the reinstatement of the higher corporate tax rate and other taxes. But no one has put together a plan to balance the budget without significant new revenues."

But Republicans, holding tough to their "no new taxes" pledge, said the plan to raise $6.7 billion in new revenue by boosting taxes on Californians with taxable income of $321,000 or higher, increasing the corporate income tax and suspending some business tax breaks was never going to pass.

The proposed budget "runs the risk of putting California on the brink of bankruptcy, along with many of its citizens and businesses," said Assemblyman Roger Niello, R-Fair Oaks (Sacramento County). "We have a $15 billion deficit, thanks to the irresponsible budget choices by Democrats in this Legislature, spending on new programs and bigger government."

What isn't mentioned, terribly well anyway, is that the Democrat majority's proposal raised taxes to paper over the current deficit and actually added more than $10 billion in new spending.

Now really, who in their right minds would propose new, additional spending on top of an already deficit situation?

[saunterelle]

Well, our schools are some of the most underperforming in th ewhole country so additional spending there would make sense. The "no new tax on people making over $300,000" policy of the Republicans is laughable. When we're in a budget crisis everyone needs to pitch in.

[subdjoe]

Aug 18, 2008 19:02:18 GMT -5 saunterelle said:

Well, our schools are some of the most underperforming in th ewhole country so additional spending there would make sense. The "no new tax on people making over $300,000" policy of the Republicans is laughable. When we're in a budget crisis everyone needs to pitch in.

Except the schools, eh? The school industry gets 40% to 50% of the states money. How much is enough? Could it maybe be that " our schools are some of the most underperforming in th ewhole country" (sic) is due to using the schools a engines of social change? Or because some school districts have to teach in 60 or more languages? Or maybe because there is almost no fiscal accountability in the education industry so funds are squandered on a bunch of feel-good, do nothing programs? Maybe if the schools went back to actually TEACHING the basics in ONE language (English) things would improve. Maybe we also need to be able to can teachers who can't do the job.

[The Big Dog]

K-14 public education receives 55% of the state general fund budget, by statute passed in initiative a number of years ago. Please explain, in detail, how increasing what is the largest per pupil payout in the country is going to do to correct underperforming schools. Common sense would dictate that if they couldn't perform with 55% of the states budget, how are they going to perform with more.

Again, Saunterelle attempts distraction with some basic class warfare rhetoric. Did you read the article or what I wrote? The budget was already in deficit and the Democrats want to spend more on top of that.

What part of that doesn't make sense?

[Mink]

Well, there is that loophole for the yacht owners that has been conveniently overlooked by the Republicans that needs to be addressed again......

[JustMyOpinion]

subdjoe, what feel good programs are you talking about? I think the schools run on a scaled down version of what we had as children. As I've mentioned before Marin public schools run them as if they were private by doing fundraisers, parent volunteer hours etc, the kids benefit by that in many ways, and so do their test scores. Yes, I know not as many Hispanics in Marin etc.

If you all really understood the need for mental health support, and individualized instruction that the kids do NOT get you may have a different opinion.

Oh, another pet peeve of mine, many schools have even eliminated PE, OMG!

[Mink]

I agree JMO, PE should be considered as important as the
three R's and even those are in jeopardy. I just can't understand what they are thinking in limiting it.

[The New Guy]

why do we have to keep rehashing the same old points again and again? how many times have i (and others) tried to tell you guys that money is not the problem with education in CA?. as a card carrying member of the CTA (i know, i know) i can tell you that the problem is lack of responsibility/accountability throughout the entire system from the superintendents on down to the students, parents included. i've heard teachers whine all day long about how they need more money and how they need more this and that. BS!!! they've got the classrooms, the desks, the textbooks and can't figure out how the hell to teach a kid with those tools. i've heard some complain that they can't properly teach b/c they don't have internet access in their classroom. they teach friggin' english or health for christ sake! we didn't have computers in ANY of my classrooms when i went to school and we turned out fine. these teachers complain about the most menial things all while failing to do what they were trained to do........TEACH!

and speaking of computers, at our school my teaching partner and i contacted the local social security office which GIVES AWAY COMPUTERS every 2 years and set up a computer lab that put the taxpayer funded, school computer lab to shame. kids flocked to our lab before school, during lunch, and after school because we had more computers and they were current unlike the few outmoded ones in the library. all we had to do was invest a few hours of our time to pick up the equipment. meanwhile, most teachers are content to sit on their duffs and complain.

*****
on another note, the democratic party (the party of the aging adolescents) didn't get their way so they booted one of their own out of the state capitol today:

www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-california-budget-dispute,1,6174574.story

[subdjoe]

JMO, my step kids went through the RP schools. I don't remember all the programs, just thinking "lordy, why are they wasting time and resources on this BS." And, maybe not so much programs as an institutional agenda to push self esteem at all costs whether deserved or not. The idea that competition is bad, that any effort regardless of results should be lauded to the skys, that form is everything. The push of the false idea that everyone deserves respect no matter what they do or say - people deserve courtesy until they show that they dont. Respect is earned, especailly self respect. And you get it by hard work and a job well done, not by being rewarded for half assed, slip shod garbage.

Seems kind of odd that my brothers, who graduated in 63, 65, and 69, and I (75), were all in good sized classes - 25 to 30/class maybe more (and obviously so were our friends). We all seemed to do pretty well. What has changed is the lack of expectation and having to teach to the slowest in the class rather than to the average or a bit higher. Kids will live up or down to what is expected of them. Oh, and if you didn't cut it, you flunked or failed a grade and had to do it again. God forbid that anyone DARE to tell a kid now that he failed at something.

As for PE, I can see why they cut it out - since competition is bad (the kid or side that looses may feel sad or some such bs), why bother? After all, can't risk having the little darlings finding out that they can't always get what they want. I'm surprised that they still have any sports programs. Besides, it gives more time to teach the politically corrected history classes.

[Mink]

TNG: "they teach friggin' english or health for christ sake! we didn't have computers in ANY of my classrooms when i went to school and we turned out fine."

Where is the grammar?

[subdjoe]

good post,new guy. Someone once said that a school is a log with a student on one end and a teacher on the other. You hit it on the head when you said that the real problem is lack of accountability. Maybe all the bells and whistles are distractions that distract from the job of teaching and it is time to dial it back to McGuffey Readers, a chalk board, a composition book and a pencil.

[subdjoe]

Aug 18, 2008 23:45:00 GMT -5 Mink said:

TNG: "they teach friggin' english or health for christ sake! we didn't have computers in ANY of my classrooms when i went to school and we turned out fine."

Where is the grammar?

Care to address his point rather than taking a typical liberal cheap shot?