claims since she built eBay, she is the perfect person to solve the fiscal disaster which is
California. How will she pull off this political legerdemain? Will she raise income taxes?
No. Will she modify Proposition 13 so commercial property taxes can be raised? No. Will
she support raising the state sales tax? No. Will she cut the $10 billion prison budget? No.
Will she support a constitutional change so that a simple majority in the legislature can pass
a budget? No. Will she cut education funding? She won't say. Will she cut Medicaid or other
social programs? No comment. So, what is her plan? She is going to cut waste, fraud, and
abuse in state spending. Where have you heard this before? (Hint, hint, go back and listen to
some of Ahh-nold's campaign speeches)
Whitman says there are too many people at Cal Trans working on too few contracts. She
says she is going to create a grand jury to investigate waste and fraud; and if she catches anyone
they will go to jail. She is going to go over the budget with a fine toothed comb and she will
save...wait for it, wait for it...billions of dollars.
How much longer will California voters fall for this con? You could close CalTrans and do
very little to close the budget deficit (and watch our infrastructure fall apart). If she was
focused, maybe she could save $1-2 billion ferreting out fraud and waste. What about the other
$15 billion or so she needs? She won't say. She has a plan, but she won't say what it is. She
directs you to her website. Has anyone looked? Did you find the other $15 billion in there
somehow?
I am not a big Jerry Brown fan. He is a great thinker, but a terrible administrator. At
least he hasn't tried the old waste, fraud, and abuse dodge. The reality is, the state deficit
cannot be addressed without a combination of tax increases and spending cuts. This isn't
rocket science. All it takes is political will. However, Meg Whitman will not earn her own
chapter in "Profiles in Courage" by ducking and dodging when asked what specifically she
would do differently than the last two governors; and she insults the average gum-chewing
Californian when she tries the old waste, fraud, and abuse scam.
Is there waste in Sacramento? Absolutely. How about having the legislature meet only
every other year? Cut out each state legislator's per diem. Take away the state cars and all
the other perks which cost Californians a fortune. Dock their pay when a budget isn't passed
on time. Want something radical? How about returning control of education money to the
local school districts and then fire administrators who don't produce results.
Whitman is spending upwards of $100 million to win this race. Shouldn't she have the
courage of her convictions to lay out exactly what she would do? If she is scared to tell us,
why does she want the job to begin with?
If she is elected, I predict no one will ever go to jail for wasting taxpayers money or
committing fraud. She won't produce even $1 billion in savings from her statewide grand jury.
It will go away just as it did for Ahh-nold (I believe he identified about $100 million in waste).
Meanwhile, Sacramento will still be in gridlock and you and I will have to wait four more years
to see if anyone truly cares. What do you think? I welcome your comments and rebuttals.
Please send them to lionoftheleft@gmail.com
Let's see.....
ReplyDelete1.) Release a number of the nonviolent 3 strikes prisoners and make a substantial reduction in the prison industrial complex cost.
2.) Change all of the gamesmanship done by state employees with retirement income...the same goes for cities, Cal Trans, etc.
3.) Cut out the outrageous bennies for illegals
4.) Put a huge monetary fine on businesses found employing illegals
5. Retired state employees can not draw pension benefits until age 65.
6. State employees drawing 2 or 3 pensions and with total income above $100K, get nothing from the state. This includes the UC system as well.
7. I could go on, but you get the idea
I wish we had a better Democratic candidate for Governor, Bernie. Brown has too many brown stains on his past for my liking. As unpalatable as it is for Californians to suffer another Republican in office, it seems likely to happen. Gee, I wonder if Bill Clinton is looking for work right now. Imagine the possibilities!
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Jack