State budgets, taxes and 2010 state legislative elections

[CARLHAYDEN]

Many states have a substantial projected deficits over the next three years.

In many states, the "solution" to this problem is to raise existing taxes and/or impose new taxes.

I suspect that those legislators who jump on the higher taxes bandwagon will be voted out of office in the 2010 elections.

In many states it is the state legislatures that handle redistricting not only for the state legislature, but for congressional districts as well.

What is your perspective on this impact.

[Mr.Phips]

Many of the people who do support higher taxes are probably in very safe districts for their party.  Those in the "marginal" districts are likely to vote against them.  Even a lot of Republicans are supporting higher taxes in states where they are safe. 

[Beet]

Shortsighted reject of both tax hikes and spending cuts are what's driving this country's government towards bankruptcy. Don't forget that Newt Gingrich predicted the 1993 tax hike would result in a deep recession. Sometimes taxes are necessary. And I am not saying that spending cuts aren't necessary, either.

It's all part of the get something for nothing mentality which is why this is a decadent country in decline. Americans have been spoiled by FDR's successes in creating middle class stability and prosperity. We have developed a culture where everyone, from the poor single mother who lives on revolving credit card debt, to the doctor who drives up health care costs by treating his profession as a "revenue stream", all the way up to the CEO of a bank who thinks he deserves millions in bonuses for running a gambling casino, wants something for nothing. Voters' myopic wish for more entitlements and less taxes is just another part of this. In the first half of the 20th century they hated debt. In the 19th century, people hated debt as well. Where is the responsibility? Where is the reality?

[CultureKing]

I wish my state could raise taxes, we had to balance our budgets almost completely by making cuts. People are not happy, trust me. Thanks Tim Eyeman!

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Since we have a Budget and Control Board that is required to make mid-year spending cuts in the event of a revenue shortfall, things would have to be much direr than expected to force a tax hike to restore cuts.

B&CB membership is five people:
The Governor, the Treasurer, the Comptroller General, the Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and the Chair of the House Ways & Means Committee.

The Treasurer and the CG are constitutional officers so they don't have to follow Sanford.

The B&CB has other tasks as well, such as those handled at the Federal level by the General Services Administration.

[Хahar 🤔]

Uh...not in California?