{"id":10310,"date":"2023-11-16T12:29:08","date_gmt":"2023-11-16T19:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sandiegonewsdesk.com\/?p=10310"},"modified":"2023-11-16T12:29:08","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T19:29:08","slug":"from-the-cheap-seats-desperation-in-sacramento","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandiegonewsdesk.com\/?p=10310","title":{"rendered":"From the Cheap Seats: Desperation in Sacramento"},"content":{"rendered":"

Original Article Link: From the Cheap Seats: Desperation in Sacramento (thecoastnews.com)<\/a><\/p>\n

by\u00a0Garvin Walsh<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

O<\/span>ne of California\u2019s biggest political battles in years is underway, and if the Democrats in Sacramento have their way, voters will be denied a say in the outcome. On Sept. 26, they applied to the California Supreme Court for a writ to keep an already-qualified voter initiative off the November 2024 ballot.<\/span><\/p>\n

Doing so would overcome more than 1 million valid signatures that were gathered to support the measure.<\/span><\/p>\n

The target of this effort is a voter initiative known as\u00a0the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act<\/a>, a constitutional amendment that would prohibit any increase in taxes and government fees without the approval of the voters.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Dems\u2019 move hints at desperation in Sacramento, evincing a fear that the voters will put an effective leash on taxing and spending in state government.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ostensibly advanced in the names of the California Legislature, governor and an individual \u201celector,\u201d it\u2019s clearly a partisan maneuver. According to Assemblywoman Tasha Boerner\u2019s office, no vote for this was taken in the Legislature.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not law, just politics.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The lead attorney opposing the initiative is Richard R. Rios of the Sacramento-based firm Olson Remcho, well-known as an agent of the Democratic Party. Their clients include \u201cthe Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly, the Senate President pro Tempore, the California Democratic Party, dozens of labor organizations, and members of the California Congressional Delegation,\u201d according to the firm\u2019s website.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Rios is also the attorney who represented state Sen. Catherine Blakespear in the matter of\u00a0Walsh v. Blakespear<\/a>, a lawsuit arising out of her blocking and censoring of public comment on social media and her subsequent breach of a related settlement agreement.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Rios\u2019 brief, the proposed amendment is an \u201cunlawful attempt to revise the Constitution.\u201d His argument makes a distinction between an \u201camendment\u201d and a \u201crevision,\u201d the latter proposing \u201cfar reaching changes in the nature of our governmental plan.\u201d The amendment would also impact the executive branch by restricting its power to increase fees and charges.<\/span><\/p>\n

Defending the initiative is Sacramento attorney Thomas W. Hiltachk, acting for Californians for Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability, which has the backing of the California Business Roundtable and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, among others.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Hiltachk\u2019s reply brief asks for summary denial of the writ, arguing firstly that the Dems \u201ccannot overcome this Court\u2019s long-standing rule against removing a duly qualified initiative measure from the ballot absent a clear and unquestionable showing of invalidity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He debunks Rios\u2019 \u201crevision\u201d argument, pointing out that Proposition 13 encountered much the same objection, yet the government in California managed to adapt after voters approved it.<\/span><\/p>\n

A notable feature of Rios\u2019 argument is its reliance on obscure, judge-made law, in contrast to the plain language of the Constitution: \u201cThe electors [i.e., the voters] may amend the Constitution by initiative.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Speculating here on the outcome would be imprudent: Legal argument can be contorted to favor most any result, and the Supreme Court, with only one Republican-appointed justice, may accept Rios\u2019 pitch.<\/span><\/p>\n

This move opens another front in the fight over taxing and spending. Revenues are insufficient to the Legislature\u2019s unremitting appetite.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Pushing back, critics point to incompetent administration, wasted billions and Sacramento\u2019s harmful intrusion into the private sector and local government.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Voters may be ready to assign blame for this problem to the Democrats.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And it is a problem. The tax and spending burden is driving residents and businesses away. California has the highest income tax rates in the nation, offset somewhat by Prop 13\u2019s limits on property taxes. Overall, California ranks near the bottom (48th) in the\u00a0State Business Tax Climate Index<\/a>, according to the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax policy research center.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

State revenues, which are very dependent on capital gain taxes from the (now faltering) stock market, are under pressure. What was a substantial surplus in the state budget in 2022 has swung sharply negative.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Likely the federal government, with fiscal problems of its own, will not come to California\u2019s rescue. But legislators, instead of looking for ways to cut unsustainable spending, have been eyeing increases for both taxes and fees.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A predictable result is afflicting the Golden State \u2013 many taxpayers are leaving.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Outmigration jumped 135% from 2019 to 2022, the largest in the nation, benefiting lower-tax states.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Many who left were high-income, contributing a disproportionate share of taxes. Their departure will make it tougher for those who remain.<\/span><\/p>\n

Democrats have enjoyed a trifecta in state government since 2011, now with super-majorities in both the State Senate and the Assembly.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>They are in a position to pursue their agenda nearly without restraint.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>But California is becoming too expensive for working families, for family businesses, and for high-end earners.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Given Democrat dominance of state government, their tax-and-spend formula gives legislators nearly unchecked power at the expense of the people. There must be a limit to that power. If things don\u2019t change, the people will wither away.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The time is right for the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act, a worthy challenge to the status quo.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The question should be put to a vote, not decided in court. Let\u2019s hope our Supreme Court reasserts the most basic premise of our Constitution \u2014 all political power is inherent in the people.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Original Article Link: From the Cheap Seats: Desperation in Sacramento (thecoastnews.com)<\/a><\/p>\n

Image Credit: Canva<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Original Article Link: From the Cheap Seats: Desperation in Sacramento (thecoastnews.com) by\u00a0Garvin Walsh One of California\u2019s biggest political battles in years is underway, and if the Democrats in Sacramento have their way, voters will be denied a say in the outcome. On Sept. 26, they applied to the California Supreme Court for a writ to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10311,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nFrom the Cheap Seats: Desperation in Sacramento - San Diego News Desk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sandiegonewsdesk.com\/?p=10310\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From the Cheap Seats: Desperation in Sacramento - San Diego News Desk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Original Article Link: From the Cheap Seats: Desperation in Sacramento (thecoastnews.com) by\u00a0Garvin Walsh One of California\u2019s biggest political battles in years is underway, and if the Democrats in Sacramento have their way, voters will be denied a say in the outcome. 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