Posted by
Katy Grimes on Thursday, November 17, 2011 11:17:49 PM
California is only four months into the new fiscal year and already
the budget has sprung a sizable leak. As predicted, the much-touted revenue infusion
that Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic legislators relied on to close the budget
gap in June, has failed to produce ongoing funds.
Responsible leaders would address the current shortfall
before taking on additional burdens. However, expecting today’s politicians to
do the right thing is naïve - especially politicians like those behind the
suspiciously titled “California Cancer
Research Act.”
There are 64 ballot proposals already filed
with Attorney General Kamala Harris for the November 2012 ballot. If the California
Cancer Research Act initiative is approved by voters, the tax on
cigarettes in California will skyrocket by $1 per pack. Opponents of the
measure say that the $1 per pack increase is a tax increase of nearly one
billion dollars on California taxpayers, designed to pay for a new
government-spending program, and create a new state bureaucracy to oversee it.
The California
Legislative Analyst's Office determined that the new cigarette tax
revenues would generate of approximately $855 million annually by 2011- 12.
Budget Outlook Bleak
The Legislative Analyst’s Office released its 2012-13 fiscal
outlook report this week, announcing that the education and social services spending
trigger cuts are looming. However, the cuts are no surprise, as they were pre-determined
by Democrats in the budget – to feign surprise is fallacious.
Unless California comes up with $2 billion dollars immediately,
the state will be forced to make severe cuts to K-12 education. Round two of
the trigger cuts will be following for community colleges and universities.
While the LAO is warning of severe education and social
service cuts, others attached to state government are scheming to grow
government.
Spending Money We
Don’t Have
Politicians already have plans for the $885 million annual
tax revenue.
Ballotpedia reported:
$75 million annually would maintain existing tobacco tax
revenue streams to ensure that the Proposition 99, Proposition 10, General Fund
and Breast Cancer programs funded by existing tobacco taxes are not negatively
impacted by the new excise tax.
$468 million annually would to go research of cancer and
tobacco-related disease "for the purpose of grants and loans to support cancer
research.
$117 million annually would go to facilities and capital
equipment for research.
$156 million annually would go to tobacco prevention and
cessation to the state’s existing tobacco control program. These funds would be
divided between the California Department of Public Health, and the California
Department of Education, for their existing programs to prevent and reduce the
use of tobacco.
$ 23 million annually would go to tobacco law enforcement.
Approximately $16 million annually would go to
administration, including the collection, auditing, and distribution of
revenue.
Who Is Behind The
Cancer Cure Initiative?
Former Senate President pro Tem Don Perata authored the measure, which has opponents wary. Perata has been a controversial politician, tied to big
labor, and linked to several scandals. More recently, Perata was was tied to Oakland
City Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente, who received a $25,000 consulting fee in
August 2009 from "Hope 2010," a ballot measure committee controlled
by Perata, the supporting campaign's co-chairman. De La Fuente was hired to
contact 10 labor groups for petition signatures, and 10 business groups for
campaign contributions in the Sacramento and Oakland areas.
Supporters of the measure created a coalition called
"Californians for a Cure,” which hosts the website for the ballot measure.
Haven’t We Learned
Anything?
Californians should have learned that emotionally charged ballot
measures are usually a cover for another scheme. This boondoggle ballot measure
will have much of the expected revenue going towards more administrative
buildings, bureaucracies and salaries for an unelected governing committee.
And much of the budget for the new bureaucracies will
duplicate the work of existing programs across the state.
That’s how it’s done in California.
Reckless spending programs such as this ballot measure got
California into the mess it’s in today. High-Speed Rail, tribal gaming, Proposition
98, and similar ballot measures, cost Californians a fortune in government
expansion, mandates and concessions.
Instead of creating more bureaucracy and another program
taxpayers have to pay for, California politicians need to act like adults and
find a way to pay for the programs we have, and make serious cuts to government
bureaucracies.
- Katy Grimes