CHESSNOID

This Tuesday Californians will be voting on some measures aimed to alleviate some of the budget pressures the state is experiencing.  I don’t think it will make any difference because it doesn’t solve the long term problems of our state economy.  The way it is now, no one in our state really wants any more taxes on top of what we are paying now.  Housing and stock wealth has disappeared, joblessness is increasing, and many state programs are about to get cut.

Mercury News:

California’s finances have been hit hard by the weak economy. The state gets half its general revenues from income taxes, which like other revenues have dropped dramatically this year. Even with the Legislatures’s massive spending cuts this winter, a budget shortfall looms.

The Governor’s Office pegs the state deficit in the coming fiscal year at $15.4 billion. That’s if the measures pass. If they don’t pass, the deficit swells to $21.3 billion, according to the governor’s estimates.

Supporters of the measures, which include most Democratic leaders and unions such as the California Teachers Association, have spent more than $20 million to convince voters that this is the right way to trim the deficit.

…

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger outlined problems the state would face if the measures fail during his release of next year’s budget last week.

Teacher layoffs, raids on local government property taxes and moving state prisoners into county jails were just a few of the consequences, he said.

“People need to know how this election will affect you and how this will affect your child’s school, your roads, the safety of your neighborhoods and the future of your state,” Schwarzenegger said. “I think this is what this upcoming election on May 19 is all about.”

Even if all the measures passed, all those things Governor Arnold said would still happen. People know that cuts have to be made. We don’t print our own currency thank goodness, so we must balance the budget. There is a lot of wasteful spending in government and this will force them to make appropriate cuts. Can you tell I am not a big supporter of government wasteful spending. I am still waiting for Governor Arnold to apply for a bailout from the Federal government.