re: #107 Obdicut

Opinion varies on exactly what was obstruction, what to blame Prop 13 for, and losing efforts to forced needed changes.

blogs.sacbee.com

“The state budget is a reflection of priorities and there is no reason to hold our schools hostage to the uncertainties of the proposed tax increase initiative that may not benefit our students,” GOP legislative and budget leaders wrote in a joint letter. “With political will, we can work together in a bipartisan manner to ensure that our schools are protected from trigger cuts, whether the Governor’s tax initiative is ultimately accepted or rejected by the voters.”

Democrats have all but written off Republicans in this year’s budget process because they have majority-vote budget authority and are going directly to voters for a tax hike on sales and upper-income earners. Brown has said that if voters reject the tax hike, the state will need to cut about $2.4 billion in K-14 classroom funds, equal to three weeks of school, as well as cut $200 million each from the state’s university systems.

Republicans argue that it remains possible to balance the state budget without new taxes as the economy recovers and revenues grow. Many of their proposals are similar to those that Democrats relied upon in the past or have been suggested by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office.

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