BUDGET STANDOFF MIGHT BE MODEL FOR THE FUTURE.Byline: MIKE ZAPLER MediaNews Sacramento Bureau SACRAMENTO -- The nearly two-month standoff over the state budget this summer certainly took a toll: It delayed millions of dollars owed to nursing homes and community colleges, and strained relations between Senate Democrats and Republicans so badly that one legislative leader openly doubted whether they'll be able to accomplish much of anything in the coming weeks and months. But as ugly as this year's budget battle seemed, it may be tame compared with what's to come. Budget forecasters expect the cooling economy to produce a shortfall of at least $5 billion next year. Combined with a Republican minority newly emboldened em·bold·en tr.v. em·bold·ened, em·bold·en·ing, em·bold·ens To foster boldness or courage in; encourage. See Synonyms at encourage. Adj. 1. by its power over the budget negotiations and a public that showed little interest in punishing lawmakers for the impasse, that could set the stage for an even harder fight over state spending next year. "There's nothing to stop this from happening again," said Assemblyman John Laird John Laird (14 June 1805 – 29 October 1874 ) was a Scottish shipbuilder and key figure in the development of the town of Birkenhead. He was the elder brother of Macgregor Laird. He was one of the first to use iron in the construction of ships. , D-Santa Cruz, the chairman of the budget committee. The only exception, he said, would be to lower the threshold for approving the budget from a two-thirds vote to a simple majority -- an unlikely prospect because it would encounter stiff Republican resistance and require a public referendum. Perhaps the most likely reason to expect another stalemate is that the Republicans who caused it feel certain they won. Determined to have a balanced budget Balanced budget A budget in which the income equals expenditure. See: budget. balanced budget A budget in which the expenditures incurred during a given period are matched by revenues. and protect road and levee levee (lĕv`ē) [Fr.,=raised], embankment built along a river to prevent flooding by high water. Levees are the oldest and the most extensively used method of flood control. projects from what they called frivolous environmental lawsuits, Senate Republicans refused to go along, and eventually got much of what they sought. Democrats downplayed the concessions. But it was still a rare taste of victory for a minority party usually relegated to the sidelines. "We're treated like second-class citizens" inside the Legislature most of the time, said Sen. Dave Cogdill Republican Dave Cogdill is the representative of the 14th District to the California State Senate. In November of 2006, Dave Cogdill was elected with 67% of the vote. The 14th Senate District is comprised of all or a portion of the following counties: Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, San , R-Fresno. The budget gave Republicans a chance to show they were, for once, relevant. And because all but two of them represent solidly conservative districts, they received more praise from constituents than criticism for blocking the budget. Republican lawmakers are not likely to forget that next year -- when some of them are running for re-election. Still, some political observers say that what worked for Republicans in the budget negotiations this year may backfire if they try it repeatedly in the future. "The Senate Republicans received a big shot of courage," said Bill Whalen, a research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace is a public policy think tank and library founded by Herbert Hoover at Stanford University, his alma mater. The Institution was founded in 1919 and over time has amassed a huge archive of documentation related to President and former speech writer for Republican Gov. Pete Wilson For others named Pete Wilson, see . Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23, 1933) is an American Republican politician from California. Wilson served as the thirty-sixth Governor of California (1991–1999), the culmination of more than three decades in the public arena that in the 1990s. "But is that really a smart long-term strategy for a minority party, just being an obstructionist ob·struc·tion·ist n. One who systematically blocks or interrupts a process, especially one who attempts to impede passage of legislation by the use of delaying tactics, such as a filibuster. , just-say-no party? The answer is no." mzapler@mercurynews.com (916) 441-4603 |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion