Well we told you yesterday dear readers, that the elevation of State Senator Dennis Hollingsworth to the position of Senate Minority Leader might not be a good thing. Well so far it's not paying off.
Hours after Dennis Hollingsworth ousted Republican State Senator Dave Cogdill from the Minority Leader post, the California Legislature approved $12.8 billion in tax increases.
Senator Hollingsworth was powerless to stop it. The Governor and the other legislative leaders snubbed Hollingsworth's demand to reopen the budget talks and remove the proposed tax increases. They clearly recognized him as the ineffective lightweight that he is.
Therefore, from this point forward he shall be dubbed Senator Hollingsworthless.
The tax increases that Senate Minority Leader Dennis Hollingsworthless failed to stop include:
- A 1 cent increase in the State's sales tax. Seems like a little, but it's not.
- A quarter percent increase in the State Income Tax. Again, seems like a little, but it's not and every little bit will keep adding up.
- A doubling of the Vehicle License Fee or VLF or car tax. Yep, history repeats itself dear readers. This is the same tax increase that got Gray Davis thrown out. Arnie is hoping that only doubling it will not upset voters as much as tripling it. Not a wager we'd make dear readers.
- Reducing the dependent child tax credit from $309 to $99. This will hit low income families and single parents the hardest. It's one tax increase that we're surprised any Democrats voted for.
Maldonado who has been using the media to build a public persona as a reasonable Republican who would vote for the budget fix, therefore he thinks voters should put him in a higher office, like that of State Controller, provided the necessary vote to pass this flim flam budget and these tax increases.
To be able to say he is still somewhat of a Republican, Senator Maldonado cut a deal with the Wee Five to remove the gasoline tax increase and change the 5% income tax surcharge into an across the board income tax increase. What he was drinking when he came up with that logic is beyond us, dear readers.
Additionally, Maldonado got the Wee Five to agree to put two constitutional amendments on the ballot at a cost of many millions of dollars to our already cash strapped state.
Maldonado's pet amendments are:
- An amendment to create an open primary that allows the top two vote winners to square off in the November election regardless of party. This is a much needed reform to bring a sense of balance and bipartisanship back to the state, but it never should have been part of the budget deal. It should have been voted up or down regardless of Maldonado's vote.
- An amendment to ban legislative pay increases when their is a budget deficit. This will pass but it is worthless as the State Constitution prohibits the state to officially run a deficit. That's why all of the borrowing gimmicks go into place whenever the Legislature overspends tax revenue.
Only Democratic Assemblyman Manuel Perez voted for these tax increases, which means he's likely to face a stiff challenge next year. If the economy is still in the tank and this tax plan that allows the State to keep spending money even as average Californians are pinching pennies does not work, as we here at Inside Riverside believe it won't, then its a good bet dear readers that Perez will only serve one term in the State Assembly. And rightfully so.
Anyone who voted for this budget should be ashamed and does not deserve to be in office. But there's a leadership vacuum in Sacramento and as long as legislators keep choosing people like Dennis Hollingsworthless to be their standard bearer, then nothing is going to change except our rising tax bills.
Keep up the blogging! Whats your take on the public call for Jeff Stone's resignation after he and others were paid by Scientology to pass the new protest legislation? Youtube "Jeff stones changing story" and KESQ scientology. Jeff has been reported to the FBI, its all kicking off!
Posted by: James Lee | March 19, 2009 at 11:56 AM