Jerry Brown, like his union supporters is an extortionist. “Give me your money or I will kill education, welfare, public safety—but will still demand we spend $200 billion on a choo choo train.”
California is about to see close to $200 billion in tax increases, if the Brown/union and Munger effort succeed. Can you afford it. Oh, that will be on top of the $494 billion Obama tax increase on January 1, 2013, along with the Arnold Cap and Trade $10 billion transfers from business to government on the same date.
“To recap, we’re being asked for more taxes so the state can pay down $2.9 billion in education debt (and have $5.58 billion more to play with) or lose $5.5 billion in education funding. If you think that sounds like extortion, you’re not alone. A May 15 Standard & Poor’s analysis of the governor’s budget acknowledged, “the trigger cuts will be designed to mitigate the potential for voters to reject the governor’s tax initiative.” Translation: the purpose of the trigger cuts is to force voters to endorse the tax measure. They are not the natural result of the tax measure failing.”
Cops tell us to say no to extortionists—Vote NO on tax increase on June 5 and November 6—your financial security depends on the failure of extortion.
Jerry Brown’s tax proposal is just extortion
By: Melissa Griffin, SF Examiner, 05/20/12
It’s a phenomenon some of us have experienced: Loved ones call in the dead of winter saying they need money because their heat is about to be turned off. Of course we agree this cannot happen and set off to wire the money. On the way to the bank we realize that we’re not paying for the heat; we’re really paying for whatever that person bought with the money that was supposed to go toward the heating bill. Afraid to ask for money for a new television, our friend instead presented us with a very sympathetic emergency.
This may be tolerated from our loved ones, but when billions are at stake, it’s a very different story.
Gov. Jerry Brown’s latest budget is full of trigger cuts to education that will occur if his income and sales tax initiative doesn’t pass in November. By basically saying, “Approve my taxes or I’ll take money away from the children,” he’s creating a sympathetic emergency and hoping we don’t consider why we have a $15.7 billion deficit in the first place. (Hint: It’s not the schools.)
“But Mel,” you might say, “he’s proposing cuts to education if there aren’t new taxes for education. That makes sense.” Not so fast.
Brown’s tax measure — sometimes inaccurately called the Millionaires’ Tax — is supposed to bring in $8.5 billion, $2.9 billion of which will go toward a $10.4 billion debt the state owes to education funding. It won’t directly pay for new programs, teachers or schools. The other $5.58 billion would go to the general fund, where it could be spent on anything, which may or may not include education.
If the tax measure doesn’t pass, Brown’s budget proposal would trigger $6.1 billion in cuts, $5.5 billion of which would be directed at kindergarten through college education.
To recap, we’re being asked for more taxes so the state can pay down $2.9 billion in education debt (and have $5.58 billion more to play with) or lose $5.5 billion in education funding. If you think that sounds like extortion, you’re not alone. A May 15 Standard & Poor’s analysis of the governor’s budget acknowledged, “the trigger cuts will be designed to mitigate the potential for voters to reject the governor’s tax initiative.” Translation: the purpose of the trigger cuts is to force voters to endorse the tax measure. They are not the natural result of the tax measure failing.
Californians care about education, but we do not appreciate being treated with rank manipulation. Keeping these education trigger cuts in the budget may even backfire.
