This Doesn’t Work At All, Governor Brown

by paradox

California is currently facing a chronic revenue shortage, so instead of getting to work and into a fight our brave Jerry Brown wiggled himself into a laughably stupid, destructive and ludicrous leadership solution: hold a special election to raise taxes!

We live in a representative democracy, Mr. Brown, your complete abdication of the concept makes it even more of a mockery for the little people, sir, but I can assure you we set up the place that way. We held an election in 2010 so you could do your job, not so you could fail before even trying and then turn to us with another election. Another election that delivers failure in every facet of its gross irresponsibility, cowardice and cruelty, hopefully to be roundly defeated if it indeed comes to pass.

Look, Retread, Democrats own the California House and are only 2 or 3 votes short in the Senate from getting a normal legislative fix to a revenue issue. How is it so impossible to have some massive fight upholding good liberal principles to get those 3 votes? No possible compromise, no ingenious carrot to entice 3 votes, no political investments to be made? What cowardly incompetent twaddle.

Okay, Moonbeam, you can’t lead or govern, but then you come before us in some amusing vast vacuum of reality and state there must be a special election to raise taxes, but no reason why, incredibly no political reason why this must be so. We don’t have leadership or representative democracy anymore, we don’t have the moxie or competency to make the legislature work but hey, I’m Jerry Brown. Reality on the fly, bitches, try it along with me!

California Republicans have gone berserk in their holy crusade never to raise taxes, even as folks starve in the streets and the place crumbles apart. That’s the political reality this state and Democratic Party has to face and fight, and no, Jerry, running from it isn’t what you were elected for.

The civic mechanics of this begin to break down quickly with just a little thought. Of course there’s the massive risk the election could fail, but even if it doesn’t, does it include a guarantee that taxes will never have to be raised again? No, so what happens then, another election? Every time the legislature fails by not raising taxes? Jesus Christ.

Even the framing and mechanics of the proposed solution are stupid and cruel. Raise income taxes on the yacht club ($250,000+) and a ridiculous, regressive sales and vehicle tax increase. No property tax reform, no business tax adjustments, no gradient income tax reform, just this absurdly simplistic jackoff that perfectly reflects the political cowardice that barfed it out: the super-rich will finally bear more of their share so screw the little people with a sales tax to make up for it.

Jerry Brown, take a good long tour of this once great State and come back to us just how much more horrific poverty, disease and misery the little people can take. We’re all waiting for that fun story, yes, so in the meantime here’s a ticket to the cluetrain: the little people have nothing left, we’re smashed and reeling with so little left for our children. Use that vast brain of your to come up with solutions that leave the little people alone, it isn’t difficult intellectually or civically. Seriously.

Get this, what does this big man of political bravery state the consequences of special election failure would be? Not a fight or an evolution of some solution in the legislature, no, just an amazing proclamation from the Reality of Jerry that repudiation of this stinking turd of an idea would mean instant cuts to our K-12 schools and CalWorks, the offensively small pittance we give out to out desperately poor handicapped folks.

So if Jerry Brown doesn’t get his way our children and crippled will be held hostage, and by God if it doesn’t work we’ll really do it, in the land of milk and honey we’ll beat up on our kids and disabled folks when things go wrong.

[sigh] For your manifest political cowardice, your appalling civic incompetence, your incredible arrogance in holding the smallest among us hostage, you will so clearly get a No from this citizen for your chickenshit special election, Jerry Brown. I hope it blows up in your face so you finally have to grow up, get a pair and do your job.