fresno elections 2008

California does NOT have a revenue problem but a SPENDING problem. The state must get its house in order and with cuts, get back to its original intended purposes. Reduce state government!

California must live within it means. Over the last 4 years, revenues have grown by 40%, but spending has grown by 44% in the same time period. We can not continue to spend more money than we bring in. Our state clearly has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Our budget crisis was not caused by a lack of revenues, but years of overspending. Every day, California families are forced to live within a budget and find ways to reduce spending when times get tight, so should their government. Tax increases are not the answer. At a time when the price of gas and groceries is up and home values are down, the last thing people need is higher taxes. We can close the gap by making the tough decisions to reduce spending and live within our means. That should be coupled with meaningful budget reform that will prevent us from getting into budget crisis like this in the future.

We must work together, Republicans and Democrats, to reduce wasteful government spending and get California back on track.

• The liberals who run the legislature need to learn that hard-working Californians don’t want a bigger and more expensive government. Conservatives need to stand tall against run away spending and force state government to live within its means. You can not spend beyond your budget and the state should not be able to do it either.

The legislature needs to stop using accounting tricks and spending money the state doesn’t have. The legislature needs to create a rainy day fund so that we have a healthy surplus headed into the times when tax revenues fall short.

Finally, we need to take steps to secure the border and stop illegal immigration and it costs California $10 billion a year.

Californians are the 4th highest taxed citizens in the United States and we send a higher percentage of our income to Sacramento every year. In this time of fiscal uncertainty the taxpayers of California cannot afford any more financial burdens than they are already facing. The State needs to live within its means by cutting fat, reducing wasteful spending and making sound budget decisions. Additionally, we can start preparing for future problems by saving funds when we have a surplus, instead of spending on pork-barrel projects. Sacramento doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. A sound, conservative fiscal policy should be a top priority for the state legislature.

I believe we need a comprehensive and balanced approach in dealing with the state budget. It should be a combination of reductions in expenditures and increase of some revenues. I also believe that everyone from both sides of the aisle must be willing to compromise to get out of this fiscal emergency.

I don’t think we can simply cut our way out of the difficult budget times the state is facing without causing potentially long-term consequences. Releasing prisoners before they serve their entire term, cutting health care or eliminating class size reduction efforts in our school will have lasting consequences on our society. I’m certainly not in favor of more crime, the greater potential for the spread of contagious diseases or giving our kids a poorer education.

We certainly need to stimulate the economy and we can. I think we should spend the funding from the infrastructure bonds so that we move that money into our economy as quickly as possible. This will help to retain and create jobs as well as keep California competitive with new and improved infrastructure.

Other long-term solutions include creating a better regulatory structure in our mortgage industry that addresses some of the pitfalls that lead to the high foreclosure rates, which have affected our economy and state budget.

But in general, I think the state should also look at ways to raise revenues that make sense ---like the Governor’s proposal to put a fee of $10 per year on property insurance policies with the money being used to fund firefighters. I think people are willing to do their part if they know exactly what they are paying for. But let me be clear, raising revenues is not the sole answer. I am in favor of a mixed approach of some targeted revenue increases and very tough budget cuts – which I suspect will be the solution this year.