Desperation Time in Sacramento
DESPERATION TIME IN SACRAMENTO....California is $40 billion in the hole, give or take a billion or ten, and the only way out is to raise taxes and cut spending. But it takes a two-thirds vote to pass a budget or raise taxes in California, and California Republicans flatly refuse to raise taxes in any way, shape, or form. Result: deadlock.
Today, though, Democrats in Sacramento came up with a plan. It turns out that revenue-neutral tax changes only require a majority vote. And user fees only require a majority vote too. So Dems have proposed a two-step tap dance. First, raise a bunch of taxes and eliminate a bunch of fees in a revenue neutral way. Pass it with a majority vote. Then put all the fees back in place under a different name and kick them up a notch. Pass that with a majority vote too. Voila! A tax increase with only a majority vote. Toss in $7 billion in spending cuts (schools, healthcare, etc. — the usual) and we're halfway down the road to fiscal solvency!
It's clever, I'll give them that. And there's nothing to keep them from doing it over and over again, thus raising taxes whenever they want to with only a majority vote. Because of that, and regardless of whatever supporting opinion they managed to wrench from the Legislative Counsel's office, this is so plainly contrary to the spirit of the state constitution that I have a hard time seeing how it will pass judicial muster. But I guess it's worth a try. Any port in a storm.