Experts Expound

“In its latest disagreement with the governor, the LAO says the state needs new money from targeted tax hikes to balance its books. Will it happen, or will this recommendation get lost in the partisan wars?”

Does anyone even see a remote possibility of a two-thirds vote for any increase in any tax?

The budget process needs an adult in the room, and the LAO is it. The fact that the state needs to raise new revenue is obvious and shouldn’t take anybody by surprise – except Allan Zaremberg and Arnold Schwarzenegger. What a pair.

The more important question is when did the LAO decide to forsake its bipartisan tradition?

The California Legislature is an entertaining laughing stock, the governor isn’t even entertaining. Time for a part-time Legislature, a part-time governor and full-time voters.
Not a chance.

No friggin’ tax hikes.

No chance.  Arnold is as likely to star in “Terminator IV”.

The LAO has lost its street cred lately by injecting itself in partisan battles over AB 32 and the budget. This finding also will be ignored.

Sad to say, the Legislature will likely once again ignore the excellent advice from Mac Taylor.

The May Revise used to be an important document as it was the foundation for budget discussions.  That is not the case anymore.  It is nothing more than an interesting fact. The Legislature doesn’t care about what is in it and neither does the Governor.  The LAO should be the one presenting the budget in January and the May Revise. Then we could have a real discussion.

We’ve always done everything the LAO suggested in the past, so why wouldn’t we … oh, wait.

No. The final budget will include the extension of temporary tax increases.

It already has.

Andrew Acosta, A.G. Block, Mark Bogetich, Barry Brokaw, Morgan Crinklaw, 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