Patrick Mallon
Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2002

A Democratic Party Art Form – Inventing Voters (8/26)
Tammany Hall's Next Target – Simon's Faith (8/16)
California Governor's Race: Defying the Lies as Bombs Fly (8/9)
Stealth Agenda Trumps Academic Success in Schools (8/2)
Simon Survives Attacks, Davis Cons for Cash (7/26)
Paralyzed From Facing Reality (7/19)
California: Wanted! An Ethical Governor. Apply Within (7/15)

Since neither Davis nor Simon can attempt anything riskier than running moronic TV ads, let's take a Labor Day weekend look at the farce that is California government.

This weekend, the state passed a smoke-and-mirrors budget.

What legislators haven't accounted for is how state coffers have been depleted by the stock market crash. Capital gains collections were $17 billion in 2000. In 2002, revenues from capital gains and exercise of stock options will be $6 billion.

This $11 billion plummet makes little difference in government spending practices. Nary a mention of outlays to the millions who don't pay state taxes.

Yet life goes on for cash-strapped Californians, many experiencing less-than-stable employment, over-extended credit, and shoestring budgets.

A sampling of recent legislative debris, none of which would garner more than an embarrassingly unfavorable response if put to a statewide vote, is provided for your reading frustration.

'Earth to Secretary of Homelessness: Do You Read?'

By a 23-9 vote, the Senate forwarded a bill to the governor that creates a Department of Homelessness. This position would be by appointment and report directly to the governor. Terrific! Can't wait to see live press conferences featuring the secretary of homelessness.

A commonsense person might define homelessness as the condition in which a couple scrapes and saves and scrimps for years to afford a down payment to buy a home. Tired of renting, living in shared quarters, paying ever-abusive taxes, never having anything given to them. Now that's homelessness!

Instead, doublespeak exploits the image of the down-on-their-luck, suitcases in hand (a la Grapes of Wrath), looking for a little help to get back on their feet.

This gross misrepresentation provides cover for many of the young, able-bodied, drug-addled boozehounds drawn to overly generous environs like San Francisco where they receive public funds to support their afflictions and irresponsibility.

These are the constituents (i.e., victims) that Democrats, and Gray Davis, want to elevate in stature, making them dependents of this new department.

Funny, no one seems to have much compassion for business and restaurant owners who have to wash human feces and urine from the sidewalks and in front of their doors every morning, or apologize to customers who have to navigate past panhandlers and drug dealers to patronize establishments.

Race and Gender First, Business Health and Profit Last

The unending layoff announcements and employers scrambling to make ends meet doesn't prevent Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, D-Los Angeles, from doing what she does best, ignoring reality and pushing her mindless agenda.

According to the New Times LA, who labeled Goldberg the "Duchess of Dumb," "Jackie is a human Jabba the Hutt who consumes the good while producing bad."

Goldberg has authored AB1309, a diversity bill that requires reporting on gender and ethnicity of employees in businesses with 100 or more employees. This despite the fact that affirmative action has been outlawed by Proposition 209.

Ms. Goldberg, in defiance of anything that would, God forbid, reduce burdens on employers, says her bill would "put a little pressure" on employers to maintain workforces that are "representative of their community," as well as "let businesses know someone is noticing."

Have you noticed, Ms. Goldberg, that businesses think the state STINKS to high heaven in excessive bureaucratic control, private agendas and "workers of the world unite"?

One might wonder whether the bill was designed only to reward lawyers and other assorted leeches in parasitizing struggling companies. Not surprisingly, the bill is backed by MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) and the ACLU.

According to the Orange Country Register, the California Chamber of Commerce believes this is exactly the intent of Goldberg's latest masterpiece: "The bill would trigger an avalanche of frivolous civil-rights lawsuits against companies." Since Davis is tight with trial lawyers, the bill is now on his desk for an expected signature.

Liberal Sun Tzu John Burton Drop-Kicks Pussycat Republicans

State Senate leader and second-most-powerful man in Sacramento, John Burton, D-San Francisco, had a good weekend for himself. Half gangster, half field general, Burton has mastered the art of war for liberal policy excess. He's a take-no-prisoners liberal who doesn't negotiate.

Burton controls most, if not all, of the legislation that passes through the Senate.

The formula works like a charm for Davis. With common sense and reason eliminated from the dialogue, the incumbent can do the irrational, invent the illusion of leadership, while aggrandizing himself at the expense of the majority.

Burton, on the other hand, is the bad cop in the good cop/bad cop scheme.

According to a more than receptive Sept. 1 San Francisco Chronicle article, "Our Man in Sacramento," Burton is far more liberal, far meaner on occasion and "far more out there than most other lawmakers."

"Burton actually over-represents liberalism in California – the state is far more moderate, even conservative, than the insular world of San Francisco," said the Chronicle.

In any negotiation, outrageous demands tend to elicit marginal concessions, producing intended outcomes, especially for Democrats dealing with timid conservatives who wave white flags.

In 1998, while attempting to resolve a legislative conflict over recycling laws, Burton held a meeting in his office with lobbyists and environmentalists.

When both sides became stubborn, refusing to give ground, Burton screamed, "F--k you all," and stormed out the office leaving everyone stunned. Word has it that this is the same way he behaved this weekend with powerless Republicans.

To demonstrate how this cabal works, Burton produced a Senate plan that gives Davis license to triple car fees without Republican approval. This plan surfaced two days before the Sunday budget vote. In essence, Burton took away any leverage Republicans may have felt they had in using the license fee issue to further reduce spending. Checkmate.

Con Job Budget Sneaks Through When Nobody Looking

The state finally passed its under-the-radar budget on Sunday, Sept. 1. At 1:31 a.m., to be exact. With little fanfare, and with voters either asleep, vacationing or ordering drinks at last call, four Republican assemblymen finally caved in, providing the two-thirds majority needed.

The four cavemen didn't go it alone. Their votes had the approval of GOP leadership.

Call it a bad case of repetitive intimidation, fear of the neighborhood bully, or simple cowardice, but Republicans once again had their lunch handed to them.

According to the LA Times, "In order to win four Republican votes, Assembly leaders contended the $2.4 billion in targeted tax increases were merely 'revenue enhancements.' "

Republicans Keith Richman, David Kelley, Dick Dickerson and Mike Briggs gave the Democrats the margin they needed.

Dickerson, Briggs and Kelly did the same last year, voting at the last minute for the Davis budget.

No word yet on the possible quid pro quo they received to take a dive, but one thing is for sure: Taxes will be increased under the fraudulent guise of "revenue enhancements." Since enhancement is by definition an enlargement, what's the point in lying about it?

Richman said, "This is a bad budget, in bad times, but one we all need to swallow." No skin off his back. Richman is reported to be preparing a run for mayor of a new city should San Fernando Valley secede from Los Angeles.

Assemblyman Rod Pacheco, R-Riverside, said it best: "It's the worst budget in the state's history. "It's a complete and total fraud."

And so are the people who passed it!

And as for the non-existent Republican Party, there went a grand opportunity to give challenger Bill Simon a chance to prove that Davis and the one-party system in Sacramento have completely lost their fiscal minds.

Now, if someone could tell us what it took for the four Republican turncoats in the Assembly to lose theirs, maybe we'd have some answers.

See next article in series: Davis and Apologists Fooling Themselves

You may e-mail Patrick Mallon at patrick@newsmax.com.

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