Stop treating taxpayers like Automated Teller Machines

On Wednesday, I joined the California chapter of Americans for Prosperity to launch a statewide media tour and petition drive calling on legislators and the Governor to cease pork barrel spending and stop treating taxpayers like an Automated Teller Machine every time the budget is in trouble.

With a 12-foot inflatable ATM as a backdrop, the coalition (which included Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association’s Jon Coupal and some of my Republican Legislative colleagues) announced an upcoming statewide tour to raise awareness about the out-of-control spending in California’s government.

Peter Foy, the president of the California Chapter, said California taxpayers have done their jobs and now lawmakers and the Governor must do their jobs.

Senator Runner (center) told a Capitol crowd: Stop treating taxpayers like Automated Teller Machines. He is joined by Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines, Jon Coupal, of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers’ Association, Assembly members Doug LaMalfa and John Benoit.

I couldn’t agree more.

From the time I was sworn in to the Legislature in 1996 to the present time, the state budget has doubled from $50 billion to a little more than $100 billion.

That’s astounding fiscal growth. So why are we chronically in debt? Why are we no better off now than we were in 2003 when the credit cards were supposed to be cut in half? Why are we saddled with a $17 billion deficit this year?

The answer is easy: We spend well beyond our means, year after year.

But we are out of gimmicks and budget trickery – and the governor’s budget proposal (released yesterday) that proposes to sell bonds against future profits of the unstable California State Lottery proves this point.

It is time for the Legislature and Governor to implement practices to be more effective and more efficient with the money entrusted to them by taxpayers. We must reduce wasteful spending now and adopt measures to stimulate the economy for the future.

California Republican legislators have introduced ideas to balance the budget and help the economy grow.

The move we must not make is taxing Californians to make up for the failures of Sacramento. As the members of Americans for Prosperity say, Californians are already taxed to the max.

For more information about the California chapter of the Americans for Prosperity, please visit:
www.DontTaxCA.com