California Republicans `Wish List' Targets Public Pensions in Brown Budget

[Joanne98]

Source: Bloomberg

California Republican lawmakers want Democrats who control the Legislature to lock in $12 billion in spending cuts and other remedies before they’ll consider a public vote on taxes that’s a cornerstone of Governor Jerry Brown’s budget.

Brown needs at least four Republicans -- two in the Senate and two in the Assembly -- to muster a two-thirds majority that will allow him to bring almost $10 billion in temporary tax increases to voters for approval.

Brown, 72, a Democrat who was governor from 1975 to 1983, has vowed to fix the financial strains leaving California with the biggest deficit of all U.S. states, and the lowest credit rating. He proposes $12 billion of spending cuts and wants lawmakers to call a special election in June for voter permission to extend higher vehicle fees, sales taxes and income-tax rates to avoid even deeper cuts.

Senate Republicans yesterday drew up a list of legislative priorities including public-employee pension reductions and lighter government regulations. Brown and Democrats must first enact the spending cuts and the reforms before Republicans would be willing to consider the tax extension, said Jann Taber, a spokeswoman for Senate Republican Leader Bob Dutton.



Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-16/california-republicans-wish-list-targets-public-pensions-in-brown-budget.html

[sasha031]

1. it's the new repub mantra

thankfully the grownups are in charge.

[Kingofalldems]

2. This is a concerted effort among repubs--destroy unions

and pensions. I bet Newty et al has something to do with this.

[Scottybeamer70]

3. "before they'll consider"????

I'm sick and tired of the threats always given by the repukes!
They're like a bunch of kids in a sandbox.........give us your
toys or we'll go home!!! Gawd............!!!

[Frank Booth]

8. Hey, it always works against Obama.

They probably figure it's worth a try with Brown.

[Hubert Flottz]

4. I hope when the average Americans finally take all they can...

that those greedy bastards have a good hidey hole picked out.

[JackintheGreen]

5. He's not even raising taxes/fees

He's asking the voters if he can! Isn't that what the repubs keep moaning about? Doing the people's will? Well, there it fucking is you halfwit, obstructionist fuckwits. :mad:

[mike_c]

6. I am a California public employee who has worked for decades on the promise...

...of a pension at the end of my service. Like the study recently publicized in Wisconsin, I'm confident that an examination will show that public workers in California ALREADY work for less than our private sector counterparts-- often WAY less for those of us with advanced education and technical skills. One of the reasons is that compensation is deferred until after retirement for those of us who stick it out and spend most of our working lives serving the public interest.

Knife, meet back.

[YvonneCa]

10. Me, too, mike_c...

... :hug: I retired 2 years ago. I may be naive, but I really don't think they will take away pensions from those that worked and contributed to them for decades...like us. Not that the GOP doesn't want to. There DOES seem to be a plan to create a two-tiered system, though, for newer hires.

[GreenTea]

7. CA Prop 25

Doesn't come into play.

[sofa king]

9. Pensions: the last American resource worth exploiting.