The Republicans nixed the Democratic proposals in Senate. But Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg doesn't seem to be willing to toss in the towel just yet. However, as Dave noted in the above-linked post, what is the endgame?
This video is of a presser immediately after the vote went down in the Senate. Steinberg looks alternatively frustrated, punch-drunk, sad, and jocular. At one point, he questioned the entire system that dumps children off insurance while refusing to look at tobacco taxes. It really is quite poignant for a moment. Steinberg then moves on to acknowledge the tyrannical power of the minority and the unlikelihood of getting substantial revenues. But this budget mess is really wearing on him; he wants a deal.
As a practical matter, Steinberg does work to establish a rhetorical wall around the social safety net. But anybody who pays attention to what's going on in Sacramento can tell that when rated on a scale of levees, it's more New Orleans than Amsterdam. He says that he will not let Health Families insurance for hundreds of thousands of kids be destroyed, will not let in-home support services be removed, will not let Cal-WORKS be eliminated, and wants to protect CalGrants, among other areas. Really, he outlined the base to which he could not sink past. But, as Bob Dylan says, if keeps on rainin', the levee gonna break.
All that being said, in the rather long video, he also says that he definitively will get a deal done by July 1. For those not by their calendar, that is next Wednesday. That's not a long time to convince some Republicans in his "super secret negotiations" to come up with a plan to close $6 Billion that Republicans themselves have definitively rejected.
Note that there is one Republican who does have an idea to close the last $6 Billion: Tom Campbell. Campbell, Arnold's former Director of Finance and candidate for governor, calls for a one-year gas tax increase to raise $6 Billion. Of course, the proposal probably eliminates Campbell from the Republican primary, but his position is noteworthy.
As Dave mentioned, the failure is the system. Short term, some bad deal will be made. Long-term, we must have a repeal of both 2/3 rules as a primary issue and get rid of both of them, pronto.
