State Budget Surgery Fails
California Political Desk
June 25, 2009
SACRAMENTO: Senator Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley) and other Senate Republicans stood up for California taxpayers, by rejecting a budget proposal loaded with more than $2 billion in tax hikes. Senator Aanestad says he will not support any budget plan that places yet another burden on state taxpayers, and demanded that the Majority Party listen to the message that was delivered last month during the special election.
"Every single county in California rejected, by a near 2-1 margin, the proposed tax hikes that were spelled out in Proposition 1A," said Senator Aanestad. "Voters delivered a very strong and clear message on that day: no new taxes. I´m flabbergasted that some people in this building still don´t understand that message."
The budget proposal before the Senate Floor contains an increase in tobacco taxes, oil severance taxes that could lead to higher gasoline prices, the car tax (Vehicle License Fees) and also hikes taxes for small business owners. It also contains about $11 billion worth of spending cuts. Those cuts may have been sufficient last November, according to Senator Aanestad, but it´s not nearly good enough now.
"Let me give you an analogy," said Senator Aanestad during today´s budget debate on the Senate Floor. "Last November, the tumor was small. We could have cut it out last Thanksgiving with $6 billion in cuts. However, the budget situation has worsened since then. Revenues have dropped. They´ve fallen each and every month since last November. Revenues have fallen to the point that voting on $10 or $11 billion in cuts is akin to removing half of the cancer. That doesn´t do the patient any good. You don´t do surgery on a cancer and remove just half of it."
The North State leader says he will not support any solution that piles another $2 billion in tax hikes on top of the $12 billion already imposed on the people last February. Californians already pay the highest sales tax in the nation, have the second highest income tax rate in the country, third highest gas tax in the nation and business owners face the highest tax rates in the West.
"Let´s take care of the entire problem now," Senator Aanestad challenged on the Senate Floor. "Let´s do surgery the way it should be done – get it all done at once – and correct this problem so that for once, in the 12-years that I´ve been in the State Legislature, we can actually celebrate a balanced budget."
The budget proposal only garnered 22 votes in the Senate – with a bi-partisan group of Senators refusing to support the plan.
"I´m pleased that my Senate Republican colleagues stood up against the special interests and stood in favor of California taxpayers," said Senator Aanestad. "Taxpayers deserve real solutions, not gimmicks and new taxes."
"Every single county in California rejected, by a near 2-1 margin, the proposed tax hikes that were spelled out in Proposition 1A," said Senator Aanestad. "Voters delivered a very strong and clear message on that day: no new taxes. I´m flabbergasted that some people in this building still don´t understand that message."
The budget proposal before the Senate Floor contains an increase in tobacco taxes, oil severance taxes that could lead to higher gasoline prices, the car tax (Vehicle License Fees) and also hikes taxes for small business owners. It also contains about $11 billion worth of spending cuts. Those cuts may have been sufficient last November, according to Senator Aanestad, but it´s not nearly good enough now.
"Let me give you an analogy," said Senator Aanestad during today´s budget debate on the Senate Floor. "Last November, the tumor was small. We could have cut it out last Thanksgiving with $6 billion in cuts. However, the budget situation has worsened since then. Revenues have dropped. They´ve fallen each and every month since last November. Revenues have fallen to the point that voting on $10 or $11 billion in cuts is akin to removing half of the cancer. That doesn´t do the patient any good. You don´t do surgery on a cancer and remove just half of it."
The North State leader says he will not support any solution that piles another $2 billion in tax hikes on top of the $12 billion already imposed on the people last February. Californians already pay the highest sales tax in the nation, have the second highest income tax rate in the country, third highest gas tax in the nation and business owners face the highest tax rates in the West.
"Let´s take care of the entire problem now," Senator Aanestad challenged on the Senate Floor. "Let´s do surgery the way it should be done – get it all done at once – and correct this problem so that for once, in the 12-years that I´ve been in the State Legislature, we can actually celebrate a balanced budget."
The budget proposal only garnered 22 votes in the Senate – with a bi-partisan group of Senators refusing to support the plan.
"I´m pleased that my Senate Republican colleagues stood up against the special interests and stood in favor of California taxpayers," said Senator Aanestad. "Taxpayers deserve real solutions, not gimmicks and new taxes."
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