By Ron Lowe Santa Monica
A few anti-tax Republicans are forcing California to accept a draconian fiscal policy. How can a bunch of perverse GOP lawmakers do this? Because of California’s antiquated two-thirds legislative rule that allows a minority of politicians to block, obstruct and thwart meaningful budget reduction via reducing income revenue. This is the goal of the anti-tax ideology, bring government to a standstill, eventually leading to the privatizing of Social Security and Medicare which they see as the great demon.
Maybe this is an oversimplification, but if the GOP gets its way, all Californians will suffer except for the GOP’s rich benefactors who go sailing off into the sunset. Education, as we already see, police, firefighters, health care, etc. will have funding cut. Why are Californians so docile in the face of looming cuts to public services? Have they bought into the deception of the Republican Party anti-tax ideology?
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 24, 2008. Read the original PDF.