Apparently the Republicans have a GREAT idea to cut the budget deficits. See, there's a lot of money in them there schools, and really, we don't need them, right? Right? I mean, slashing the schools would work great with W's plan to use No Child Left (Behind) to privatize public schooling. So, we place unrealistic demands and then take away all their money. Seems like a two-fer. So, ssh, here's the plan:
Republican legislative leaders, vowing to block passage of a state budget until Democrats agree to more spending cuts, have proposed in secret talks to slash $400 million from schools, according to education groups that were briefed on the negotiations Tuesday.
School officials say they were shocked to learn of the proposal at a briefing on the state budget impasse — now in its third week — by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D-Los Angeles) and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland).
The officials said they were told that, under the GOP plan, the money would be cut out of cost-of-living adjustments for salaries and other expenses and funding for the growth of student populations. The cuts would apply to schools with kindergarten through high school classes and to community colleges. (LAT 7/18/07)
I'm hearing that Arnold doesn't want to get anywhere near cutting into Prop 98 education funds, given the problems that got him in 2005 and the fact that he lost a lawsuit to the CTA. So, I'm not sure how this is going to work given the fact that Arnold seems a lot closer to the Dems than his fellow Republicans at this point. Well, let me rephrase that, I think Arnold would go along with pretty much any compromise that could emerge from the Legislature.
But, Arnold does love him some privatizing, but I really doubt that schools would really be his target. But, the GOP, man, they never give up with this crap, do they?
Yesterday, Speaker Fabian Nunez put out a press release with an aggressive tone, calling on Arnold to meet with the legislative leaders on the budget.
ONE WOULD THINK THAT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE AT SOME POINT BETWEEN NOW AND THE FIRST OF DECEMBER THE GOVERNOR WOULD CALL A BIG FIVE MEETING SO THAT HIS LEADERSHIP COULD BEGIN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE STALEMATE BETWEEN THE DEMOCRATIC AND THE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP ON THE BUDGET.
Arnold did meet with the leadership yesterday, but it appears that little was accomplished. Democrats often use the California Majority Report to push a message that may not be getting through in the press. Today there are two pieces up on the Republicans and the budget. They are clearly ramping up the pressure on them to agree to the Democrat's budget version.
Of the things you fight, you'd assume that money for children in foster care would be pretty low on your battle list. But, the Assembly Senate Republicans fight to make sure not one more dime goes to those damn kids. I mean, they've got enough already, those dern foster care rich kids
Their uneasy coexistence with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger now at the lowest point in his tenure, Republican state lawmakers are rebelling in increasingly public ways over administration efforts both big and small.
GOP state senators refused Thursday to sign off on the administration's request to pay for cost overruns in the state's foster care system. Republican objections to Schwarzenegger's proposed budget for the coming fiscal year all but guarantee that the state will miss its Saturday deadline for putting a new spending plan in place.[(LA Times 6/29/07) ]
Oh, you mean foster kids aren't rich? Oh...right. So, the GOP finally realizes that Arnold has sold them out, or well, at least he wasn't who they expected him to be. Welcome to the club Mr. Villines Ackerman, I think Bill Lockyer is waiting for you at Table 2.
The Assembly Republicans would love to just sit on their hands, Nero-style, as our healthcare delivery system burns.
"We don't want to buy into a plan that's going to fix everything, because we don't think there is a plan that fixes everything," Villines said. "We feel like we're the last line of defense."(LA Times 3/14/07)
And, why should the government, you know, actually do something to help the people of the state? Or fix a broken health care system? Or ensure that every citizen of this state has access to affordable health care. (I would argue that it should be free or darn close to free, but that's not even the point here.) No, Villines trusts the insurance companies, trusts the HMOs, and other corporate shills to protect our citizenry. Because, you know, the market heals all.
Michael Villines of Clovis, the GOP leader in the Assembly, said in an interview Tuesday that many of the proposals from the governor, Democratic lawmakers and some Republicans were unfairly raising expectations of what government could do and would eventually backfire.
On to the low expectations of the Republicans over the flip.
There are many structural reasons why the California legislature is dysfunctional. One of them is the 2/3rds requirement to pass the budget. While, the Democrats do have a strong majority in both houses, they must pull along a few Republicans every year. There were no seats that changed hands this year. The only notable balance change comes from the Republicans dumping their Assembly leader. They picked a legislator who is more likely to say the California Republicans' favorite word "no" when it comes to the budget and other bills.
I'm in the Oakland airport, and have been for almost three hours now. Not the best way to spend an afternoon, but the $10 for wireless was well worth it. But, when I was paying it, it reminded me of Seinfeld...what's the deal with that? What's the deal with paying $10 for internet for a day?
Who knows? And on to my real topic. Mike Villines. The Assemblyman and longtime Wilson aide is set to lead the Assembly Republican Caucus into a brave new world of...irrelevancy? You know, I've seen plenty of articles saying how he's going to a) whip those Reps into a solid voting bloc b) stand up when the governor makes deals with the Dems. You know the funny part is that while all these articles are written, few even mention that who Villines is trying to fight his own Republican Governor.
Somewhere along the line there is a disconnect between what the people want and what the political parties want to do. And what Schwarzenegger wants to do. Who knows what that dude is planning on doing, but one thing is clear is that there is a level of trust that has reached record lows for a party caucus and its governor.
Villines plans on making the Reps more relevant, apparently by pulling them away from the center and toward his wingnut base. Exactly how that will be successful is beyond me. On non-budgetary issues, it's hard to see how Villines hopes to accomplish much. Of course the disastrous ramifications of the supermajority requirements gives Villines some leverage on the deal.
So, Villines plans to make his party relevant by obstructing the will of the majority...oh and his own governor. I guess we can expect another delayed budget, a lot more partisanship, and a lot less being accomplished for the people. Yup, this is definitely going to make them relevant.
Man, we really need to redistrict to end the obstructionist tack of the Republican extremists. Poll over the flip...
