Turns out, according to Maria Shriver, that most Californians want it all.
“Don’t close the parks, don’t cut from education, don’t cut from health care, don’t cut from anything,” said Shriver, amplifying what people tell her. “I say, ‘We have a $25 billion deficit: What would you do?'”
I told you! I spent it with my uncle in Alaska hunting wolverines!
Uh, er, sorry about that … she goes on to say:
…nearly everyone replies that they don’t want to pay higher taxes and don’t have any of their own ideas about what parts of government to cut.
Really? Nearly everyone, eh? No suggestions? Drawing a complete blank? I am sure that nearly everyone of the 10 to 15 people that read this here web log semi-regularly have an opinion or two on this topic.
What say you, Raggers?
The Sac Rag 
Don’t close the parks, don’t cut from education, don’t cut from health care, don’t cut from anything and don’t raise taxes.
Just LEGALIZE IT already!!
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Our state is broken. I would rather live in a place where they tax you 50% and are STILL the happiest people in the world. Socialism works. Everyone works. Everyone has health care. Everyone has a free education. Plus this sweet little gem of a place kicks out free loaders. Plus North Korea doesn’t hate them. Any guesses?
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Davis?
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Why not simply cut taxes to increase spending?
Why not make parking in the parks free and charge for certain premium attractions in the parks.
The parks need a new business model – “freemium”
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undo the VLF cut. that would account for 23% of the hole.
undo the enormous incentives given to oil companies for offshore drilling. that’s enough to keep every single public high school in the state from having any material or staff cuts.
increase the cap on the top income tax bracket by 1.5%. That would keep every single publicly-funded hospice, hospital and nursing home from feeling any cuts.
the cut the hell out of single-district engineering projects, table the canal project for at least a decade, and you don’t even need to raise sales taxes at all.
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Take the scissors to Caltrans and invest in public transit with maybe half of the money that would have been spent on new freeways. Table HSR for now, but put a few million into route planning, and focus on more conventional commuter trains and upgrading track so we can run 100-120 MPH passenger trains the way we used to back in the 1930s (Yes, really.) Offer tax breaks to developers and cities that encourage infill growth along commuter railroad lines.
Like Greg said, legalize it and tax it. Create new industries, reduce prison populations, support farmers, increase tax revenue and encourage greater consumption of Cheetos and pizza in one swell foop.
Don’t cut parks, because parks generate more tax revenue than they cost and far, far more business for the private sector than they cost.
Set up a guest-worker program for farm labor, and come down hard on businesses that hire illegal immigrants outside of the program.
Besides that, everything Moe Hong said.
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Realistic Changes
– lower business taxes and stop the bloodletting of businesses leaving California.
– keep the parks open, but charge for premium parking spots and perhaps open MORE parks as a money making measure.
– destroy, eliminate, vaporize and recall proposition 98. The auto pilot spending mess.
– furlough days for legislators
Day Dreams
– Withhold pay from legislators the minute the budget goes ONE DAY over. IOU? You owe us!
– Send in business CEOs midday into ANY state building to stop waste. Any potluck put on will be broken up and people forced to actually WORK instead of just sitting around gaining weight. While we are at it.
– Mandatory running for all citizens. Enough with draining the health care system because of your terrible eating/exercise habits. Get off your ass! The Ministry of Movement will be dedicated to everyone at least walking a 5k with tax breaks available to those that get to a 10k and more. (sorry no technical shirt included)
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Ditto Moe Hung and from there begin serious debate on wburg’s ideas…
Finally, more stuff like this discussed on every blog and in public quarters throughout state…ignite public engagement…after that constitutional convention.
Right on Sac Rag.
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Do chickens have large talons
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yeah jose, there’s a real bloodletting of businesses in the 8th largest economy in the world and by week’s end we’ll be the third world.
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Constitutional Convention
Get rid of everything that the voters have passed that have anything to do with the budget or taxes.
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