Experts Expound

“The governor’s odd budget is option-filled, with one option being selling the lottery or going to the voters to boost the sales tax. So how would you balance the budget?”

Moi? Balance the budget? Isn’t that why we pay Anthony Adams and Sally Lieber the big bucks?

I would cut where I could without killing the poor and infirm. I would raise taxes, not fees. Regressive taxes are not the way to go. I

realize none of this will happen but I can hope, can’t I?

The budget needs to be balanced honestly with the elimination of unnecessary programs (cuts) and revenue increases (taxes). It will be painful…but we need to stop passing the buck for personal political gain.

Let’s kill the car dealerships and tax the poor people with a sales tax.

Tax trial attorneys. Kidding

It has to be a combination of cuts and revenue increases. Longer term, the tax code must be revamped to eliminate some of the extreme volatility.

I’d fight like hell until late in the summer and, when everyone is convinced I’m incompetent, I’d slap something together and declare there’s something in it for everyone to hate.

I’d start by being absolutely candid with Californians, and the Governor’s too-cute-by-half sales tax proposal doesn’t meet that test.

The people from whom we sought opinions:: Elizabeth Ashford, Andrew Acosta, A.G. Block, Mark Bogetich, Barry Brokaw, Morgan Crinklaw, J Dale Debber, Peter DeMarco, Jim Evans, Kathy Fairbanks, Jeff Fuller, Rex Frazier, Ken Gibson, Evan Goldberg, Deborah Gonzalez, Sandy Harrison, Bob Hertzberg, Jason Kinney, 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, Gary South, Kevin
Spillane, Rich Zeiger.