Archive for Two Cents
MAY 22, 2009: Volunteers Made The Difference
Posted by: | CommentsWhile Governor Schwarzenegger high tailed it out of California to Washington the day before the election to talk car emissions, and possibly even bailouts and future job opportunities, volunteers worked up until the last of the polls closed to ensure the NO vote. The dedication of so many is evident in the election results. There are some who are attempting to diminish the will and intent of the voters. For example, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-LA) has a video on her web site where she says voters were “fatigued” and “confused”. Michael Hiltzik of the L.A. Times writes about how voters are “cynical”. Do not let these few take away from the accomplishment of many. We know why we voted the way we did. We were not fatigued or confused, cynical or jaded or even freeloaders who expect something for nothing. We The Voters are just tired of our wallets being seen as a never ending Vegas jackpot for the Legislature.
It is clear, We The People of California are ready to stand together to save our state. We’re on the road to fiscal responsibility and we’re not looking back.
MAY 19, 2009: This Is….Not American Idol
Posted by: | CommentsOn the day the nation will vote for it’s next American Idol, our State will vote for it’s fiscal sanity. Tonight’s Idol finale very well might break records for voting and viewing for the show. In California, a state with 17.3 million registered voters as of last October , the turn out is expected to be low. The best guess from “experts” is about 4 million voters will vote total, 2 million have already cast a ballot.
The media tells us it’s “voter fatigue” from the historical Presidential election. The Governor tells us the Props are too complicated for us to understand. Neither are an excuse for not getting out to the polls today. If you are going to vote tonight for the next American Idol take the time today to vote NO, our state is at stake.
Don’t forget to remind EVERYONE you know and EVERYONE you see to go NO.
MAY 18, 2009: The Final Countdown
Posted by: | CommentsWith just about 24 hours until the polls open it’s up to each of us to get the people we know and love out to the polls to VOTE NO. With the exception of a few commercials for NO on Prop 1A, a handful of radio ads and some random robo calls, there is no notable opposition to ALL the props. Unfortunatly 1A is the only prop to to really get any attention. The other Props on the ballot are just as deserving of your NO vote. If 1B, 1C, 1D and 1E aren’t defeated, BILLIONS more will be spent in borrowing and new spending. These Prop’s feed the general “slush” fund and will lead to other taxes down the road which will leave the California taxpayers footing the bill once again for the legislature’s incompetence and irresponsibility.
There is fairly strong support for Prop 1F. If it’s passed it won’t really hurt anything. It is an ineffective Prop put on the ballot by Abel Maldonado in an attempt to cover for his vote to raise our taxes. The taxpayers of California deserve stronger constraints in restricting the pay of the highest paid legislatures in any state in the nation. California needs to change the way we employ our legislature, they need to be part time as they are in most other states in the country. Prop 1F doesn’t do enough, we deserve more.
Each of us needs to reach out to EVERYONE we know and ask them to VOTE NO tomorrow. Tomorrow each of us need remind EVERYONE we know and happen to see throughout the day that they need to get out and vote. Statewide turnout is expected to be low. Our family, friends, neighbors and co-workers need to know how important this vote is to our state’s financial future. It’s up to us California.
MAY 15, 2009: The Governor Gets Out A Shovel
Posted by: | CommentsThursday, Governor Schwarzenegger announced his two new proposals to fill our state’s massive deficit hole. If the Props pass on Tuesday, his wildest dreams fulfilled, the budget deficit is only $15.4 BILLION dollars. In the real world, the deficit hole will be $21.3 BILLION dollars after the Props fail. Included in these proposals to balance the budget are up to $9 BILLION dollars in new cuts, $5.4 billion of which would be cuts to school spending, thousands of state employee layoffs, releasing 19,000 state prison inmates who just happen to be illegal aliens to the Federal government, and borrowing $7.5 BILLION dollars from cash strapped local governments and more.
The Governors timing is no accident, it’s political. In every election there are the doomsday tactics of fear reminiscent of Orson Wells and George Romero. The May 19th election is no exception. We’ve all heard the claims there will be no firemen left to fight fires, no cops on the street to protect us from the bad guys, teachers will get laid off and our kids won’t get an education and prisoners will roam free. It’s the same story for every election. This is Schwarzenegger’s last-ditch effort to scare voters into opening their wallets yet again. Before you go and hide under the bed think about this, the total state budget for 1998-99 was $72 BILLION dollars; a decade later the 2008-09 state budget for total spending was $128.8 BILLION dollars (excluding expenditures of federal funds and bond funds). That is almost double the spending in just ten years. In 1998, were we really so bad off? Could we not afford to pay firemen, police and teachers back then? In the last 10 years the growth of California’s government has been out of control, that is what should really scare you. Our legislature has turned into zombie’s ala Dawn of the Dead with a ravenous appetite to spend your money but unlike War of the Worlds, this is reality.
Tuesday’s special election ballot includes Prop 1A, which is a $16 BILLION dollar TAX INCREASE, the largest in California’s history. If 1C, 1D and 1E were to pass that would add BILLIONS of dollars more to the general fund. Even by some twist of fate, if these Props pass, our state is still short $15.4 BILLION dollars. On Tuesday, just say NO to the spending insanity. Stop feeding the spending beast. VOTE NO ON PROPS 1A-1F. Force the zombies in Sacramento to go back to the drawing board and come up with a real solution for California.
MAY 11, 2009: Who’s Opening Their Wallets For 1A?
Posted by: | CommentsWe’ve all seen the commercials on T.V. and herd the ad’s on the radio telling us to vote yes on Prop 1A. To say support for Prop 1A is well funded is a gross understatement. At the end of all political ad’s they have to tell you who is “responsible” or who paid for the ads. It’s usually some group with a catchy sounding name. Our personal favorite is “Budget Reform Now”, we all want budget reform now right? The really interesting part is where the money those groups use to fund ad’s comes from. Most would assume it’s just labor unions and special interest groups, and they do get big money from them, that’s true. But…. that’s not their only source of cash.
Let’s use our favorite Budget Reform Now, who’s full committee name is Budget Reform Now-A coalition of Taxpayers, Business, Labor, Educators, Public Safety, Seniors, Jerry Perenchio and Governor Schwarzenegger’s California Dream Team-A Ballot Measure Committee, as an example. In 2009 the total contributions amount to $11,310,736.48, that’s a lot of money to try and ensure we pay higher taxes. But where does that money come from? Chances are if you drank a glass of wine, had a beer, smoked a cigarette, paid for car insurance, filled your tank with gas, went to the grocery store, saw a movie, or went to see just about any professional sport in California, some of your money was contributed to Budget Reform Now.
The list of donations to Budget Reform Now looks like a “who’s who” in big business, entertainment and Hollywood Elite. Some notable donations include: Chevron $500,000, Gallo Winery $100,000, LA Lakers $25,000, Philip Morris $350,000, Paramount Pictures $50,000, Anheuser Busch $25,000, Universal City Studios $250,000, and the San Francisco Giants $25,000. This is just a small sampling of the list of total donations.
Donations to Schwarzenegger’s California Dream Team-A Ballot Measure Committee in 2009 total $4,179,262.97. Contribution highlights include $650,000 from the California Republican party (even though the state GOP opposes Props 1A-1F), $100,000 from Farmers Insurance and $75,000 from Safeway. Again, only a small sample of the list of total contributors.
All donations to organizations who support and oppose the Props are listed on California’s Secretary of State website for you to review. Its pretty interesting reading.
Why would all these companies want their consumers to pay higher taxes? The simple answer is, the taxes you know are better than the taxes you don’t know. If all these companies use their donations to lobby for these tax increases maybe the Governor and Sacramento won’t come after their industries next. But we know they will, they always do. Think of it kinda like an “appeasement” tax.
The problem with that is they will always want more of our money. Do you really think passing the Props will satisfy the spending needs of the Governor or the Legislature? The only way to demand accountability and responsibility is to starve the spending beast. Make them live within there means, if it’s good enough for us it should be good enough for them.
4/27/2009: Schwarzenegger Fears Prop 1A Is Too “Complicated”
Posted by: | CommentsIn the L.A Times today Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has much to say about Prop 1A on the May 19th ballot. He complains the media is making it too “complicated” and the “disingenuous” Repulican right is “unfair” for spinning it as a tax increase. Ok, riddle me this Batman….If 1A Passes, the current tax increases extend for an additional 2 years. You WILL pay more in sales tax, income tax and the doubled car tax, but that’s not a tax increase…Really?
You Will pay more in taxes if 1A passes, but for those who point that out and complain he has this to say:
“You ask people if they want to take that money instead from education. They say ‘No.’ Well, then, do you want to let out prisoners. They say, ‘No, no, no. We don’t want to do that.’ You want to take it from law enforcement? ‘Oh, no.’ “I say, ‘There’s only so much money to go around. You’ve got to make a decision.’ They say, ‘I’d rather pay a little extra in sales taxes and those things.’ “
The “little extra” he’s talking about? The already approved tax increase will cost the average California family $1,100 annually, according to the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association. There’s only so much money to go around? Can he say that in California with a straight face? Oh I forgot, he’s an actor.
In Sacramento it’s not a tax revenue shortfall, it’s spending insanity. Tell the Governor on May 19 it’s not complicated, it’s simple: “NO-you have enough of my money in taxes find a more responsible way of spending it”
4/24/2009: A New Constitution?
Posted by: | CommentsSupport is growing for a new State Constitutional Convention. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger endorsed the convention back in March to fix our State’s “dysfunctional” system. To circumvent the required two-thirds legislative approval to convene a convention, The Bay Area Council is pushing for two ballot initiatives in November 2010 that would allow voters to call for and immediately enact a convention. Supporters want to axe California’s required super-majority of two-thirds to pass the state’s budget and tax increases to a 55% majority rule.
The proposed convention would include 200 people to serve as delegates, including 80 state-wide elected officials. Who would you trust to throw out our Constitution and re-write it from scratch?
Does this sound like a good idea to you? Not only are the implications to California potentially devastating, the consequences to both our State and our Nation are immeasurable. Remember, so goes California, so goes the nation. Would you like our United States Constitution up for a do-over? What would our Founding Fathers say?
Contact the Governor, tell him it’s our lawmakers that are “dysfunctional” not our State’s Constitution.
4/22/2009: California’s DDay
Posted by: | CommentsToday, we are 27 days out from the May 19th Special Election. How we vote will decide our State’s financial fate. Our already high taxes are not enough to satisfy the ravenous wants of Sacramento Politicians. Even with our current tax increases they want more…a lot more. Giving them billions more of our money will not suddenly make them fiscally responsible or accountable. They will just continue to see California taxpayers as an endless well in which to tap to fund their irresponsibility.
We Must VOTE NO on May 19th.
We Must send a message to Sacramento, loud and clear, that WE The People of California have the power and WE The Taxpayers will no longer be their bailout.
We Must get informed, be informed and stay informed. Knowing is half the battle.
We Must get the word out NOW to our families, friends and neighbors. Call and email ATLEAST 5 People, hand out voter guides and take your friends and neighbors with you to the poll’s on May 19th to VOTE NO.
California, this is our chance. Get involved. Do something today.
4/20/2009: So You Went To A TEA Party……
Posted by: | CommentsOk…so you went to a TEA Party. You made your sign and held it high. You turned out with your families and friends and protested in parks and on street corners. Maybe even some of you led the crowed with “No more tax and spend…We’re not your ATM”. We as Californians stood shoulder to shoulder with Citizens in communities all across the Nation. Even though the main-stream media won’t admit it, April 15th was the start of something. They did their best to paint Tea Partiers as fringe extremists fueled by FOX News that were so well organized they must be funded by some unknown right-wing conspiracy. There was no violence, no drama, no burned out cars or broken windows, much to their chagrin. Just everyday American’s united against bloated government and so much over spending our children and grandchildren are indebted with it even before some of them are born.
The TEA Parties were a pebble dropped in water. But for how long and how far will the ripples be felt?
So you went to a TEA Party…Now what? If we just go on about our day-to-day lives with a false sense of success we will have accomplished nothing. If we don’t focus the momentum of the TEA Party movement all those politicians who said, “you don’t matter, we don’t care” will have been absolutely right. If we spent all of our “unhealthy-misdirected” anger (thank-you David Axelrod) on the 15th, our TEA Parties will end up being just like the “New Coke” of the 80’s: lot’s of talk about it but just not as good as the “real thing”. The Boston TEA Party of 1773 sparked the action that ignited a series of events that led to American independence. If our modern day TEA Parties haven’t re-lit the flame of liberty in American Citizens, especially here in California, then we are one step closer to that flame being blown out for good.
Here in California we have a unique opportunity to DO SOMETHING NOW! We must go to the polls for the May 19th special election and VOTE NO on everything. If we give Sacramento more of our money in tax revenue, they will just continue to spend it.
If you want stop the collision course of fiscal calamity, you’ve come to the right place.