SACRAMENTO, CA - After watching the results Monday of Tuesday's Special Election,

[bridgit]

'...lawmakers including Governor Arnold Scwarzenegger all but conceded defeat in a last ditch effort to fix the state's budget crisis.

Governor Schwarzenegger and other legislative leaders released these statements Tuesday night.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger:

"Tonight we have heard from the voters and I respect the will of the people who are frustrated with the dysfunction in our budget system. Now we must move forward from this point to begin to address our fiscal crisis with constructive solutions. We face a staggering $21.3 billion deficit and in order to prevent a fiscal disaster, Democrats and Republicans must collaborate and work together to address this shortfall. The longer we wait the worse the problem becomes and the more limited our choices will be. That is why tomorrow, we will come together to begin to develop a budget solution that gets our state back on track.

"We must also continue to fight for real, comprehensive budget reform that brings stability to California's budget process and forces the state to save in the good times so that we do not face these kinds of deep deficits, devastating cuts and tax increases when the economy takes a downturn. I have been working to accomplish this kind of reform since I was elected in 2003 and I will keep working toward it because we cannot allow this harmful and out-of-control budget process to continue."'

http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=59608&catid=2

[Joe Bacon]

1. Time to recall THE IDIOT STEROID BOY®

The recall petition is out. Can't wait to sign it. Fuck You, Arnold!

[comtec]

2. ok, so we recall him, lets even say gray davis gets back in

then what?
mind you I'm all for recalling the asshole and putting the REAL Governor back into office...

but then what?

[xxqqqzme]

3. "...continue to fight for real, comprehensive budget

reform that brings stability to California's budget process..." I thought that was what he said he would do if California recalled Davis & 'elected' him? What happened there steroid boy? Thought you could strut around Sacramento stinking up the place w/ your cigars? Surprise, it wasn't a movie set and the daily script rewrites weren't delivered to your cigar tent.

[bemildred]

4. Well damn, they might have to shut some prisons down.

Legalize pot. Maybe even take back some tax loopholes.

[Cleita]

5. There is plenty of money in California to fix the state's problems and not

defund programs for education, health and children's welfare. There are so many rich, rich companies, out of staters and rich foreigners who are enjoying the benefits of having property in California and not paying their fair share.

I just heard of a Texas billionaire who has a private vineyard in our Central Coast wine country. He has 300 acres of grapes that are turned into a private stock of wine for himself. He lives in the Bahamas and has cases of the various wines, at the peak of perfection, shipped to his estates in Texas and the Bahamas by private jet. His vintner accompanies these shipments personally to make sure they are handled right. This guy is only paying the property tax for agricultural land.

There are many, many more who maintain residences here in California, John and Cindy McCain being one couple, who only pay the 1% for their beach properties and who are from out of state. Beverly Hills is overrun by oil billionaires from the Middle East, who own mansions in this city and only pay 1% property tax. Many wealthy people own second vacation homes in this state and they only pay 1%.

Okay, I will say that let's keep the property tax on a single family home or small ranch at 1%. Any property owned by non-California residents or additional properties owned by residents (other than residential rental) should be taxed at 4% to 5%. It's the Jarvis ammendment, proposition 13, that ruined all the progress in the education and social programs California had achieved. When need to bring back some of what was lost back then.

Arnold, of course, won't do this, even though it will save his sad legacy as Governor because they are the same people who put him into power.

[bridgit]

6. Fucking WURD! You know where I'm coming from ~

[truedelphi]

7. Cleita you know how I feel About the Prop 13 thing.

On same page as you.

Thank you for giving out such perfect descriptions of the pigs feeding at the trough.

I sat next to a table of people eating dinner at a Thai place in Sausalito one night (Probably circa 2002)

The man had a private island in the Tropics. He flew a symphony there, then helicoptered the instruments and musicians to the top of the hill of that island.

His guests from all over the world attended. One of the things I thought as I heard various descriptions of the logistics involved in doing this was - just what mansion/estate in Sausalito did he own, and thanks to our Prop 13, never have to pay any real property taxes on?

[Merlot]

8. Agreed. Prop 13 was bad news.

And the 2/3 majority needed for budget passage keeps us held hostage to the minority party.