Make It The Yacht AND Oil Party

This is exactly the way to go (8.00 / 2)

Núñez is right to seek new revenues in this method, but also to call out the Yacht and Oil Party on this. They have politicized school funding and teachers' jobs for decades - it is totally ridiculous for them to claim that suddenly the other side is doing it.

I have long been arguing that even parents in Republican districts will not go for these kinds of catastrophic cuts. And as Núñez is reporting, we are starting to see that dynamic emerge. Voters in Republican districts are there partly because they believe the schools are better in the exurbs. The GOP is destroying their own base by taking that away from the suburban homeowners.

It's good that Democrats are finally starting to see the potential for a dramatic political realignment on taxes and state services.

You can check out any time you like but you can never leave

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by: Robert Cruickshank @ Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 05:49:15 AM UTC

Another good quote: (8.00 / 2)

"We have to decide tonight what kind of California we want," Assemblyman Charles Calderón, D-Whittier, said during a debate in the chamber. "We have to decide whether or not we want a California that offers quality education for our children, or whether or not we want a California that offers oil companies a free ride."  

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by: modem @ Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 07:56:47 AM UTC

How about this tax increase... (1.00 / 1)

Stop fooling around with goofy schemes targeted at the very few that won't generate enough money anyways. There are not enough yachts purchased in the world to close the budget deficit. Tax on oil and corporations are passed onto consumers in higher prices or reduced payroll & investments.

A truly egalitarian way to solve this is to issue a per head tax on every man, woman and child in CA. Take $6 Billion and divide it by 36 million people and you get about $166 per person. Seems like a small price to pay to stop the Education budget cuts! And how fair that each and every person who shares in the bounty of California could contribute to solving the budget crisis.

Oh I know the poor, the elderly and sick won't like this tax but what kind of California do you want?  

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by: sean @ Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 22:16:49 PM UTC

Hey, troll (8.00 / 1)

go take a look at the current profit margins that the oil companies are running and then explain why they can't absorb a severance tax in California just like every other state imposes and still deliver record profits.  And while you're at it, do the homework to translate what the severance tax would really amount to in terms of increased prices for petroleum products.

It gets so very old reading the same old faith-based Jarvis/Norquist talking points on taxes over and over again.

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by: jsw @ Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 22:24:31 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Taxes on oil are NOT passed on (8.00 / 1)

So you thin we should just continue to GIVE our oil to these companies, so we can then buy it back?  We are the ONLY state that does not charge companies to take our oil.  In Alaska they not only do not pay state income taxes, everyone gets a check every year from the oil fees.  

Oil is produced around the world.  12% of America's oil production comes from California.  The oil market will buy oil at the market price.  If the oil companies try to "pass on" the tax, people will buy other oil instead.   But even if they did pass it on, the tax is small, and only on a fraction of the world's oil production.  So it would not raise prices at the pump.  AND then even if it did, they would be passing on a tax that WE benefit from to everyone in the world.  So everyone in the world would be helping fund our schools.  is that supposed to be a bad thing?

What it WOULD do is cause the companies that pump OUR oil to PAY US for that oil.  it won't stop them from becoming immensely wealthy.  Not even a little bit.  But it will help US pay for our schools.

A REAL oil tax, combined with a windfall profits tax, would pay much of deficit, by the way.  It is our oil, after all.

--
Seeing The Forest -- Who is our economy FOR, anyway?

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by: davej @ Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 00:37:14 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

While closing the Yacht Tax loophole... (0.00 / 0)

...wouldn't really raise a lot of money relative to the deficit, it is about defining the Republicans and forcing them to pick a side: The Wealthy Elites or the future of California, our children.

Don't get me wrong, I HATE paying taxes (it's my secret inner Republican that resides inside of me on certain issues).  On the other hand I understand that in the long term, paying for education now is better than paying for welfare and prisons later.  

I find it disingenuous that the Republicans like to talk about investment and creating a pro-business climate in our state, yet fail to understand that education is the ultimate investment that our society makes as a whole.  If we hope to attract and keep business in California we need a workforce that will meet the demands of business.  We do this through education.  If we don't, we will lose more jobs to internation outsizing as well as to other states that have a superior human infrastructure.

Mark Leno made a great observation during the floor debate last night.  He pointed out that California became the greatest state in terms of economy and innovation a generation ago because the leaders back then had enough vision to understand that in order to thrive in what was an evolving economy back then was an educated populus.  We look back at the leaders of the 50s and 60s with such respect because of their vision on this and other things.  He asked how history will judge the leaders of today, a generation from now when we experience the results of taking the opposite direction in terms of education.

How will history judge the Republicans who are more interested in protecting tax loopholes for wealthy purchasers of planes and yachts instead of protecting education?

Not so well, I'm afraid.

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by: modem @ Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 05:11:11 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Personally, I'm good with (0.00 / 0)

doing both.

If the education budget cuts go through, I believe my daughter's school system will be permanently damaged, and I will be putting in a lot more hours - previously billable and taxed hours - trying to keep it above water.

Fry, don't be a hero! It's not covered by our health plan!

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by: elfling @ Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 17:55:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]