Written by Nicholas Vetrisek
In a recent move that can only be described as quixotic, the California State Senate has rejected even the modest cuts suggested by Gov. Newsom.
California is currently facing a $54.3 billion deficit and to try and offset this, Newsom created a plan that would cut $15 billion worth of programs, including $100 million towards illegal immigrants. The new Senate plan completely rejects the cuts and instead intends to delay $9 billion in payments towards school districts for one year while also taking more money from the reserves.
The major problem with this plan is the fact that the state will be in an even worse deficit next year with even less ability to pay than this year. Furthermore, with regard to the deferrals of education money, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association President Jon Coupal said that “the word ‘deferrals’ is a euphemism for ‘accounting trickery. It’s the kind of accounting that puts private sector corporate employees in jail. I don’t think it’s good policy.”
The reason why the idea is laughably unrealistic is the fact that it relies entirely on a bailout from the federal government and the passage of the HEROES Act. The bill barely passed in the House and still, 14 Democrats voted against it. Given that the bill is a purely partisan Democratic wish list, the Senate will shut it down. The Democrats would have a better chance of impeaching Trump again.
The state needs to make major cuts to escape the likelihood of crushing debt. The Senate is in fact doing the opposite by not only refusing to cut any new programs, but adding new ones. Senate Democrats are continuing to push a plan giving healthcare to illegal immigrants and there are numerous other policies just like this that they are doubling down on.
Democrats are currently suffering from what Thomas Sowell calls the “unconstrained vision,” which is the idea that even though what they are attempting to do has never worked before, since they are now the ones in charge, it will.
Now that the state is in an actual financial crisis, California’s government cannot afford to do business as usual. The constant spending with no concessions policy of yesteryear will not work. By attempting to, they are only making the situation worse. When Gov. Newsom is the more one in the room, you know you’re in trouble.
