Spending Still to Rise 31% by 2015

John Seiler:

Do they take us for fools? I guess they do.

Gov. Jerry Brown, Democrats running the Legislature, potentially some Republicans in the Legislature, the California Chamber of Commerce and other business groups and almost the whole state political establishment insist we need a June vote to raise taxes $12 billion a year, for 5 years. The total would come to $55 billion by 2016.

Now this from Bloomberg:

Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed $12.5 billion in budget cuts won’t prevent California’s spending from increasing 31 percent during the next five years, according to figures from his budget office.

Expenditures would rise to $111 billion by 2015 from $84.6 billion in the fiscal year that begins July 1, under Brown’s plan. A third of the increase is required by the constitution to bolster education. Much of the rest is for projected growth in health care and welfare, and to make up for lost stimulus funds, Brown’s office said.

So it’s all a con. The tax increases would pay for spending increases.

Even as Californians’ jobs are vanishing and inflation is back with a vengeance. Of course, our Legislators are insulated from much of the inflation. They get “free” cars and gas paid for by us.

I remember that movie “The Flim-Flam Man,” starring George C. Scott. A tax increase now would be a bigger flim-flam than anything he ever pulled off.

March 11, 2011