In the latest news in the California budget saga, the state Senate is still one vote shy of the two-thirds supermajority needed to pass the budget. Last night, as he finally ended the weekend lockdown and let his members go home for a few hours, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg got angry at State Senator Sam Aanestad in particular and the Republicans in general:
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14 comments
February 16, 2009 at 2:49 pm
kathy a.
thank you for posting this. california absolutely is in a dire place, and i do not understand why it has not been getting more attention.
in no way am i thrilled about the agreements reached, but the controller is already holding payments indefinitely for counties and for contractors. there is no money; the state is just about insolvent. passing a budget is absolutely necessary, even if the budget holds terms repugnant in one way or another to everyone. the budget is one senate vote shy of passing — just one vote.
here is one op/ed piece that caught my eye, because there is no way out of california’s mess by cuts alone: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-cap16-2009feb16,0,2542203.column
February 16, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Brad
Kathy A., thanks for that article, that is really useful.
February 16, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Lori
It is impressive that, after a weekend lockdown, Steinberg did not resort to obscenity (I certainly did), or propose a bit of traditional tarring and feathering.
February 16, 2009 at 4:56 pm
kathy a.
dude still has to work with them every day.
February 16, 2009 at 4:57 pm
kathy a.
someone ought to be telling all the folks who ARE NOT GETTING CHECKS or whose SERVICES HAVE BEEN CUT OFF that their honorable state senators did that because it is in their best interests.
February 16, 2009 at 8:10 pm
kathy a.
well. i guess the governator is doing his part, since 20,000 will be sent layoff notices tomorrow. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-cap16-2009feb16,0,2542203.column
February 16, 2009 at 8:15 pm
andrew
The national media – ok, the NYT – picks up the story.
February 16, 2009 at 8:16 pm
andrew
Hey, where’d my link go? Second try.
February 16, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Ahistoricality
And if you read down to the bottom of that, you find a little teaser for this story about a similar situation in Kansas.
We’re going to need color-coded maps: Red = Republican-induced Shutdown; Orange = Republican Brinksmanship; Yellow = Budget Impasse but still solvent; Blue = Blue Dog Democrat Capitulation slashes social, educational funds and corporate taxes; Green = Sane people still in charge.
February 16, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Walt
That’s handy, because that way you really get to economize on green. Which is expensive.
February 16, 2009 at 9:49 pm
kathy a.
yeah, well. good the outlying states like NY have noticed; maybe our own newpapers will pick up the ball and do some better reporting.
kansas still has some funds from which it could borrow, or shuffle. california is the worst credit risk of any state in the entire nation, and has shuffled about as much as it can. i’d say this is embarassing, but that doesn’t come close.
February 17, 2009 at 3:57 am
Michael Turner
This is not exactly coming at a great time is it? CA’s unemployment rate (9.3% now) is approaching the worst levels href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_unemployment_statistics”>I can remember (my memory goes to 1995). It’s more than that, though — it’s the rate of loss, it’s like 1990-91.
In previous recessions, by the time the U.S. reached the 12th- or 13th-month mark, there was usually moderation in job losses, even improvement. Not this .
February 17, 2009 at 3:58 am
Michael Turner
. . . time. (He meant.)
February 17, 2009 at 9:58 am
StevenAttewell
Good for Steinberg.
I did find it ridiculously precious for him to say ‘I’ll be darned.”