Budget Watch: Day 89

Katy Grimes: Today is day 89 without a California budget. As the November election draws near, and with the no-budget record already broken, loose lips around the Capitol are speculating about the motive behind this late budget.

Consensus seems to be on the “deliberate stall option.” Most are speculating that supporters of Prop 25 (including many Legislators) want the budget delayed in order to give more oomph to the initiative that will allow the legislature and voters to pass budgets and taxes with a simple majority vote, instead of the two-thirds vote threshold currently required.

But the other benefit from the delay is the growing support for the clause in Prop 25, which stipulates that if lawmakers do not pass a budget on time, they will be required to forfeit their pay. But we all know that Legislators would never support something that reduces their pay, so what’s the catch?

Opponents of the measure say that in the fine print of the measure is language that would allow the politicians to double or even triple their government expense accounts.  The politicians want voters to think they’re cutting their salaries, but under Proposition 25 they’ll make that up by increasing other taxpayer funded benefits.

And of course, Legislators will not have to pass a good budget, or even a real budget; they only will have to present the governor with a budget by the June 30 deadline. Any budget presented could be total garbage, but would still qualify for Legislator pay.

Always look for the motive…

Day 89 and counting… the political hunt is on, and it’s only going to get gamier around the state.

SEPT. 27, 2010