Saturday, October 20, 2012

Prop 30

Proposition 30 is a temporary half cent increase in the state component of the general sales tax and an income surcharge in incomes over $250,000.

The reason is to address a persistent shortfall in state revenues until structural reforms can be enacted.

Is it temporary?  Yes.
Is the millionaires tax label misleading?  Yes.  $250k and up.  Not just "income."
Does it address the shortfall?  Yes, substantially.  Even with dynamic modeling it is more money.  Where does it come from?  Not the millionaires.  The sales tax is the money maker.

Will things get better?  No.  Most will go to backfill past spending.  This is a hold the line measure to conceal recent past overspending.

Why yes?  It holds the state together a little longer.  The hostage threats to hurt kids is real.

Why no?  Things will be worse when it comes time to really fix the structural problems.

Oh and while this probably means nothing to most people the ballot position is a very strong reason to vote no.  Gov Brown blatantly violated the ballot process to place this proposition first.  Pure antidemocratic behavior that should not be rewarded.


8 comments:

JEP said...

The real reason to vote yes is for our kids. My school district has cut 10 days from the school year, and kids are packed into classrooms. If 30 passes, we get those days back, and hopefully some breathing room during the next couple of years. We need our children to learn, or as a society we are in ever deepening trouble.

Rob Dawg said...

> "The real reason to vote yes is for our kids."

I was clear, the threat to children's education was clear. The threat to college education was just a bit less clear.

My school district has cut 10 days from the school year, and kids are packed into classrooms.

Packed? That is a "hot" word. I look at my class pictures and see twice as many kids with half as many adults. Were we packed?

"If 30 passes, we get those days back, and hopefully some breathing room during the next couple of years. We need our children to learn, or as a society we are in ever deepening trouble."

I'd be more comfortable with results than promises.

TJandTheBear said...

JEP,

If you want those 10 days back then vote YES on 38, NO on 30. 30 is the typical Sacramento bait-and-switch.

Rob Dawg said...

JEP,
Any union givebacks for retirement or lifetime health care benefits in your district?

TJandTheBear said...

Reason/Rupe Poll 10/19...

30: 50-46
32: 45-48
38: 42-52

Margin of error was +/-4%.

Unknown said...

I have a profound dislike and distrust of Jerry Brown based on a lifetime of experience. I can say the same for Kathleen, "Pat" was reasonably competent and reasonably corrupt for the most part and that's as good as we get in Sacto.

Rob Dawg said...

Kathleen has proven time and again that rule of law and equal treatment under the law is for other people. Don't even get me started on Harris.

Rob Dawg said...

OT: yogi is making even more friends. Now he's picking on Mary. Prop 32 post a little later.