Examining Criticisms of the Republican No-Tax Budget Plan
The Republican Assembly members put forth a logical plan to
close the budget deficit this year with no increased taxes. Whether the plan
can get past political hurdles is another matter. But, the plan deserves due
consideration.
Chief among the criticisms of the plan are three points. 1)
Too much reliance on new, unanticipated revenue; 2) Cuts in the government
costs of 10-percent; 3) Seeking a vote of the people to move revenues from
ballot initiative-created early childhood education and mental health programs
when a similar effort was rejected by voters two years ago.
Taking the critiques one at a time, the first issue is
probably the most difficult because it relies on a bit of the unknown. The
state certainly has new revenue in the bank that wasn’t expected when the
governor presented his budget last January. The new revenue amounts to about
$2.5 billion. Republicans are projecting another $2.5 billion above anticipated
revenues will be available in the next fiscal year.
Republicans hoping to corner Brown with Budget Plan
Days before Gov. Jerry Brown releases his revised budget proposal for the coming year, Republicans in the state Assembly have offered their own outline they say would balance the budget without renewing temporary taxes that have expired or about to do so.
Republicans are clearly hoping to corner Brown and Democratic lawmakers by making education funding the centerpiece of their plan. They say they are proposing the same level of spending Brown has already offered for education, and no further cuts to the state’s universities.
Brown is widely expected to say that unless the state extends the temporary taxes, deep cuts to schools are inevitable. With their plan, Assembly Republicans will claim that education spending can be protected without extending the temporary taxes.
The Republican plan also spares $500 million in local public safety funding and scraps Brown’s proposal to shift an array of services to cities and counties.
Cancel This Election
The sample ballot from the city of Los Angeles came in the
mail about 10 days ago. Today, I opened it, but something was missing.
Oh, yeah.
An election.
Only after
my third time through did I notice there is something for me to vote on next
Tuesday, May 17-a run-off contest for a Los Angeles Community College Board
seat between Lydia Gutierrez and Scott Svonkin. I follow California politics
for a living but could not pick either one out of a police line-up.
All the
other city contests were settled in the first election back in March. There are
no ballot measures. So this is community college race is all that is left for
those of us in the mid-City area.
Trade will Create Jobs for Los Angeles
Exports are the key to putting America back on track in the global economy. Only 1 percent of U.S. companies are exporting. Yet with more than 1 billion new middle class consumers expected over the next 15 years, U.S. businesses will have global market opportunities unparalleled in human history. The challenge is to seize this moment by implementing a national export strategy that will truly lifts all boats.
In the minds of many Americans, international trade is associated with outsourced jobs and shuttered factories. The impact of globalization — especially our nation’s shift from manufacturing to a service dominated economy — has been painful for many families and communities. But with new growing economies and rising incomes around the world, we are no longer in a race to the bottom. There is a new growing market for American innovation.
President Obama and his administration are working to implement the National Export Initiative. The initiative has three key components: