Experts Expound

“So what happens now on the state budget? Does Jerry Brown pull a rabbit out of a hat, or are we in for a long, hot summer?”

Rabbit!

Jerry doesnt need a rabbit, he just needs … and likely will get … a few Republican legislators to trade in their principles for six-figure sinecures at PERB, Waste Management or other lucrative backwater.

If Brown does not follow the lead of Gov. Walker – which tea leaves are not hard to read – and slash pay and retirement of public sector workers it won’t matter. No New Taxes.
I don’t know what’s worse: a budget stalemate that lasts as long as the Middle Ages or a quick fight that results in a bad budget. Kudos for Brown, the old pol, but I think we’re going to get a terrible budget this year.

Brown better get ready to put on his tap dancing shoes. These negotiations are going to get ugly.

Probably a long, hot summer. Brown needs to emerge from the closed-door, back-room machinations in the Capitol and start aggressively taking his case to the public before it’s too late. He’s acting more like a mediator than a leader, and polls clearly suggest that many voters really don’t know what he’s doing.

The “rabbit in the hat” is this: If there is no budget in place this summer, legislators will not be paid their salaries or per diem for every day there is no budget-Period.

Long budget cycle. But that might be best. Labor will sweat the most until they cave.

It depends on the business leaders – it’s up to them to pressure the Republicans to do the right thing.  And, Jerry is going to have to give some ground on pension and regulatory reform.  I don’t think it will be a long, hot summer.

If Republicans are smart, they’ll strike the budget reform deals they’ve always wanted while they still can, and then add the word ‘statesman’ to their bios.

Silly wabbit: You poke your head out of the hole and Elmer will shoot it off. If Reeps vote for his tax increases, they’re toast. End of story.

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