Experts Expound

Experts Expound

“The Field Poll says a majority of Californians want a chance to vote on the governor’s budget, even though they oppose tax hikes. Where does this leave Republicans?”

When did Republicans start making decisions based on what the majority of Californians want?

Notice that Republican voters are opposed.  Also the poll has a major flaw in that it sampled only registered voters.  No special election in more than 30 years (except the 2003 recall) has had a turnout over 35 perecent.  When you poll the 35 percent most likely voters, the numbers are much closer.

In the dark, out of touch, living in a different reality.

In their gerrymandered districts, Republicans face pressure not to place the taxes on the ballot.

In the minority, with most voters agreeing with them on fiscal issues – isn’t that the definition of Republican?

In the same place they always are: stuck with an obstructionist label and popular with about one-third of the voters.

In the same place as the Devil in that Charlie Daniels song: In a bind, way behind and looking to make a deal.

Republicans could give a damn what the polls say. As always, they’re just pandering to the most rightwing elements in their party, afraid that if they step out of line, they’ll have a recall launched against them. The tail is wagging the dog again.

Same place they’ve always been – bleacher bums in the extreme upper deck in right field, about as far away from the action as you can get and still be considered a citizen.

The governor’s tax hike will make it onto the ballot in June, and it loses in a landslide unless it contains substantial reforms in state spending built into it along with the tax hikes. If it’s just a tax hike minus any real reforms, it’s unlikely that any Republican hoping to be re-elected next year will lift a finger in support of it either in the Legislature or at the ballot box.

It is not about where it leaves Republicans, but rather where it leaves California. Most of our voters pay little or no taxes …Why doesn’t Field ask those of us who do?

Same place they have been – hovering at 30 perecent, outside of the mainstream and on the outside looking in.

Andrew Acosta, A.G. Block, Mark Bogetich, Barry Brokaw, J Dale Debber, Peter DeMarco, Mike Donovan, Jim Evans, Kathy Fairbanks, Jeff Fuller, Rex Frazier, Ken Gibson, Evan Goldberg, Deborah Gonzalez, Sandy Harrison, Bob Hertzberg, Jason Kinney, Greg Lucas, Mike Madrid, Nicole Mahrt, Steve Maviglio,  Adam Mendelsohn, Barbara O’Connor, Bill Packer, Kassy Perry, Jack Pitney, Adam Probolsky, Tony Quinn, Matt Rexroad, Matt Ross, Roger Salazar, Dan Schnur, Will Shuck, Ralph Simoni, Sam Sorich, Ray Sotero, Garry South, Kevin Spillane, Robin Swanson, Angie Wei, Rich Zeiger

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