If the GOP is going to adopt a tax increase of any kind, then the spending cuts must be massive, so great that entire state departments get lopped off and disappear altogether.
Karen Bass served as state Assembly leader, and Darrell Steinberg remained as President of the state Senator long after the 2009 fiscal crisis in California. Sacramento had to issue IOU's, and the state later faced a debt down-grade.
The Republicans do not want to raise taxes. The Democrats do not want to cut social services.
Why are the taxes raised by our legislature failing to cover the costs of the social programs? A deadline for welfare would ease the costs and encourage trainees to get out there and make it.
The column suggests "the California budget is virtually balanced." Are they serious? Are they serious?
After rosy projections following from a tax increase on the "wealthiest among us", the legislature still projects a $1 billion deficit. Increased tax rates do not equal tax revenues.
The two Republican minority leaders lost their leadership positions. Karen Bass went to Congress, and Steinberg is still senate President. The Republicans got the raw end of the deal, apparently.
What did California do, exactly? Whatever example the four joint-columnists claim, the last thing that this country needs to see in D.C. is more sell-outs on tax increases. All the money in the world coming into the federal government cannot balance the books. Entitlement reform and reducation of state agencies must be on the table. They were not discussed in California 2009; they must be dealt with in Washington 2013.