Budget Agreement Reached!!! (Los Angeles, Berkeley, Santa Barbara: section 8, rent, countertops)

[Ceece]

I hope our officials take advantage of this time, while there is a bit of "breathing room", to look at a complete rehaul/restructure of our states financials. I would like to see them explore different tax structures, put a cap on social services and who qualifies for them so EVERYONE is aware of the cut off point, rethink prop 13, and bust some union strangleholds.

[Des-Lab]

Like hell we are all in the same boat. Why the "F" should this mess be thrown at my feet when I:

Live within my means

Actually saved money and have enough saved up to last awhile

Just bought a brand new house via Old School means (down payment, mountains of documentation, stellar credit, etc.)

Am not carrying five or six digits of credit card or serial home refinancing debt

Take nothing from the "system" (no kids, no welfare, have insurance, etc.) unless it was something I didn't ask for

And so on.

I have been living in CA for 36 (thirty-six G***dammed) years and haven't done anything that was part of the "crisis". Yet I'm still being dragged into it and be asked to pay for the sins of our idiot politicians as well as the collective stupidity of the entire voting bloc of the State. They say that no one drop of water is responsible for a flood. But if any of you, any of you at all have EVER voted for a Democrat in any election and/or yes on *ANY* of the myriads of bond measures we've passed in the last two decades, then sorry Charlie but YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM and this post is directed squarely at you.

As far as I'm concerned, if you are "hurting" right now and your force of circumstance was anything but something you had no control over (illness/injury or layoff), you did it to yourself and I am not only NOT wanting to help you, but am taking a great-almost sadistic pleasure in watching you squirm right now. These people need to either dig themselves out *ON THEIR OWN* or just go off somewhere and die.

Yes die.

I've lived a life that was sustainable and prudent. Don't come crying to me looking to bail your sorry asses out.

Good riddance to all of them.

I'm sorry to come off as a pompous, holier-than-thou, walking-on-water, I'm better than you, a-hole right now. But I think this time I've earned every right to sit on my moral high horse and nobody is going to come and try and knock it down.

[LASam]

L.A. supervisors to sue to block state budget cuts; other local governments expected to join | L.A. Now | Los Angeles Times

Looks like the dust hasn't settled quite yet. LA County is potentially going to sue the state for illegally withholding gas taxes and redevelopment funds. Apparentally a lot of other local governments are looking to do the same thing.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by Ceece

I hope our officials take advantage of this time, while there is a bit of "breathing room", to look at a complete rehaul/restructure of our states financials. I would like to see them explore different tax structures, put a cap on social services and who qualifies for them so EVERYONE is aware of the cut off point, rethink prop 13, and bust some union strangleholds.

Doubt it... looks like more of "Kick the Can" and let someone else deal with it later.

The legislature refused to act pre-prop 13 so I'm not sure how or what they would do to rethink it.

This morning's paper ran a story about 8 Bay Area cities, Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda and Piedmont which have all seen their assessed property values increase, albeit slightly, according to data from the Alameda and Contra Costa counties' assessors' officeswhere Property Tax revenue is steady or even increased...

The emphasis for this is that people like where they live and low turn-over is the norm... Prop 13 encourages stability and clearly cities with stable populations are not subject to boom/bust cycles as those with high turn-over...

http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_1287...ce=most_viewed

[steel7]

Local govts are pissed & its only going to get worse. Its ashame our state govt have messed up this state big time. I have not heard of any park closings. The parks charge a min of $10.00 a car to park & then the rats turn off the water so you cant rinse off the sand on your sun burnt body & feet (Orange County beaches).

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by eagle7

Local govts are pissed & its only going to get worse. Its ashame our state govt have messed up this state big time. I have not heard of any park closings. The parks charge a min of $10.00 a car to park & then the rats turn off the water so you cant rinse off the sand on your sun burnt body & feet (Orange County beaches).

Neighbors went to Lake Tahoe over the weekend and every where they wanted to park around Emerald Bay there is a $7 parking fee

[BRinSM]

maybe it's just me, but i'd rather pay the extra money when I actually use the parks than pay taxes for a park that i never use.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Want to increase receipts? Simple. Nix the draconian CO2 "taxes" and restrictions. That would immediately improve business conditions and receipts would increase.

[SandyCo]

Just because you've never taken a dime from the state, do you believe the general population should be uneducated? My son is currently at Pierce College, a community college. I don't know yet what the budget cuts to education are going to mean to the community college system, but the Cal State officials just voted for a 20% fee increase!

I'm middle class. I make a little over $50,000 a year, which doesn't go very far in So-Cal. My son is going to have to get loans (good luck, with the student loan pool drying up!) to have a shot at finishing his bachelor's degree at CSUN (Cal State Northridge). He'll probably end up with the same debt load that my daughter did when she went to UC Berkeley for two years ($9,000 total in student loans). That sucks and is grossly unfair; he may pay the same or more for a lower quality education. And this is IF he can even get loans in the first place, mind you.

What would you have him do? Stay stuck in a dead-end job, like being a bagger/checker at Ralph's, making a whopping $8.50 an hour? How is he supposed to support himself? How is he supposed to ever move out, and become a functioning, independent adult? How is he supposed to better himself? Education is key, and I hate to see that door slamming shut - not only for him, but for thousands and thousands of other students!

I probably shouldn't take your post so personally, but honestly, I'm fed up with people running around yelling, "No new taxes! No new taxes!" in the face of such a huge budget deficit. Give me your phone number; I'll have my son call you when he can no longer afford to go to college. What advice would you give him?

Originally Posted by Des-Lab

Like hell we are all in the same boat. Why the "F" should this mess be thrown at my feet when I:

Live within my means

Actually saved money and have enough saved up to last awhile

Just bought a brand new house via Old School means (down payment, mountains of documentation, stellar credit, etc.)

Am not carrying five or six digits of credit card or serial home refinancing debt

Take nothing from the "system" (no kids, no welfare, have insurance, etc.) unless it was something I didn't ask for

And so on.

I have been living in CA for 36 (thirty-six G***dammed) years and haven't done anything that was part of the "crisis". Yet I'm still being dragged into it and be asked to pay for the sins of our idiot politicians as well as the collective stupidity of the entire voting bloc of the State. They say that no one drop of water is responsible for a flood. But if any of you, any of you at all have EVER voted for a Democrat in any election and/or yes on *ANY* of the myriads of bond measures we've passed in the last two decades, then sorry Charlie but YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM and this post is directed squarely at you.

As far as I'm concerned, if you are "hurting" right now and your force of circumstance was anything but something you had no control over (illness/injury or layoff), you did it to yourself and I am not only NOT wanting to help you, but am taking a great-almost sadistic pleasure in watching you squirm right now. These people need to either dig themselves out *ON THEIR OWN* or just go off somewhere and die.

Yes die.

I've lived a life that was sustainable and prudent. Don't come crying to me looking to bail your sorry asses out.

Good riddance to all of them.

I'm sorry to come off as a pompous, holier-than-thou, walking-on-water, I'm better than you, a-hole right now. But I think this time I've earned every right to sit on my moral high horse and nobody is going to come and try and knock it down.

[Boompa]

Prop 13- Only the home you live in
Prop 13- No rental Properties
Prop 13- No Commercial Properties