As we began this year with a staggering deficit, a newly passed majority-vote budget law, and a new governor, I tried to find some glimmer of hope that we could get out of this mess while making California better.
When the budget proposal was presented, it was clear that there was plenty of pain to go around. The proposal relied more on taxes than on cuts. However, the governor seemed open to discussion. It would have been irresponsible of me to have ignored the opportunity to work with this new governor and explore just what opportunities were available to us to reform and restore California.
While I believe the voters have a right to choose, we in Sacramento must work our hardest to assure there are actually choices on the ballot. Simply placing a tax extension on the ballot is not the solution to getting us out of this mess. We must have reforms, otherwise the government will be back again with its hand out for more when those tax extensions expire.
I do not believe taxes are ever the answer, and I will not vote for a tax increase. I was clear that any ballot with a tax extension must also give the voters a choice to vote on reforms that would shape California for generations to come.
A spending cap that requires Sacramento to pay off its credit cards, build a healthy savings account and spend no more than it brings in, is no different than what every hard-working California family has to grapple with every month. It would lead to the end of the boom-and-bust cycle of spending.
Fixing a burdensome and overly generous pension system at risk of collapsing under its own weight is not only necessary, but it’s also the fair thing to do.
Preventing the out-of-control frivolous lawsuits that have driven businesses out of the state and Californians out of work is not an unreasonable request, and one that must be met if we are to get our economy and our people working again.
I understand there are many interest groups who oppose such reforms, just as there are many who oppose the mere mention of placing a tax extension on the ballot. One thing is clear — they will all find something to hate in any solution that’s actually going to work.
Unfortunately, those voices have prevailed in these discussions, and it has been made clear that reforms will not be tolerated.
Republicans have been unfairly characterized as the “party of no.” Those of my colleagues who believe as I do were open to discussion about how to fix this mess. We did not simply say no. Neither were we willing to simply say yes without real reforms or solutions for moving California forward.
Much has been made of the “GOP 5” and our willingness to meet with the governor regarding the budget. I remain surprised at the attention paid to us for simply doing our jobs.
I believe that I was sent to Sacramento not to sit back and say no, but to work with all of my colleagues toward the solutions we so desperately need. I remain committed to doing just that.
One thing is certain: My door has been, and will remain, open to anyone willing to discuss the solutions that are so necessary to get Californians working again.
• Assemblyman Bill Berryhill represents the 26th District, which includes portions of Stockton and Modesto, Manteca, Patterson and vast swaths of rural San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties.
Anyone home??
Thought not.
Could you please let me know what your adjusted pay and benefits were for 2010?
Could you please explain what retirement system and medical system you are in? Are you 3% at 50? Do you get paid lifetime medical insurance?
What are you doing to reduce the 4 BILLION dollar strain that ILLEGAL aliens cost Ca taxpayers?
Isn't it true that Calpers retirement system is only 2% of the states total budget?
I am sure you read these blogs, or otherwise you wouldn't have written your letter. As a elected official making a statement and not responding to questions, makes me wonder your real agenda.
Mr. Berryhill, Put up or shut up!!!!!
Allow me to point out that I never asked anyone to give anything up. I'm simply not for the governor giving them more, for votes. While others (you said Stockton gave up millions) are not getting more. I'm simply pointing out that the governor could probably come up with a better plan than to make cuts for some and turn around and give more to others.
Hopefully you can see what my original concern was, now.
Stockton police and fire gave back millions in concessions. For several years. Go back and read the articles. The reason they finally said enough was because of the gross mismanagement of city funds. Both unions pointed those facts out.
People seem to ignore the fact that the unions are making concessions, they are giving back. Remember their average retirement is at the poverty level. Most are physically unable to work in those lines of work into their 50's and 60's.
Tracy has not laid off one public safety person. Because believe it or not. The city has managed it's money well, and the unions are WILLINGLY giving back. When you tell these people we want more from you and don't ask from anyone else what does that tell those people that would die to protect you.
Yes, you are telling people that would die to protect you, shut up and fade away when you retire. Because idiots mismanaged money, City of Stockton....
Why are we not punishing the people who caused this
situation? Those unions are abiding by the contracts that were negotiated, they are also making concessions. But it sounds like they are telling their city leaders, use the money you have wisely, cause the unions are not going to cover for waste and incompetence.
No I did not call it a "burdensome and overly generous pension system". I quoted someone else. I have heard people say that in the past and do not believe it is the general problem with California. I believe it has more to do with a system that is not as adaptive to the economy. I also feel it is too heavily tied to unions and does little to serve laborers as it should be. In that regard I feel it is more beneficial to the unions than the actual people who do work for them. An example would be the Stockton police/fire who were cut because these unions did no t budge. Not just fire fighters but also teachers, for example.
I believe (as I have iterated) the Governor should not be handing out increases for votes.
I feel it is especially harmful for the governor to be making this move (for votes) in these tough economic times because it could lead to massive layoffs costing thousands if the economy landslides agin, especially when unions are not willing to budge in the face of economic pinch and looming bankruptcy, as we've seen in Stockton, CA.
It has nothing to do with taking thier pay. I'm concerned for their jobs and having California protected by having adequate first responders.
In fact, I go out of my way to put money in the boot.
Didn't you make over 170 grand in 2009. Aren't you in the same retirement system that is about to collapse? What was your total compensation in 2010.?
Will you also get to collect lifetime medical benefits for free like our congress does? Why should I pay for your gas and mialage? I have to pay for that myself?
That same retirement system that only accounts for 2% of the states budget? Don't illegal aliens account for a drain on the budget of over 4 billion dollars a year?
Stop the smear campaign and do you job!!
Didnt you call it a burdensome and overly generous pension system? That would lead me to believe you think retiring on two grand a month is overly generous.
I for one don't think someone that does what we are unable or refuse to do, should in anyway be made a scapegoat because the banks caused the problem, not public safety retirements.
Instead of thanking public safety, we let our elected officials insult them. That is not right.
Let's be fair I don't think we are asking people to give back their retirement benefits. I just don't think the governor should be picking and choosing and giving more (for votes), right now.
That's all.
We agree with each other. The govt needs to focus on making money, not taking it. Create a environment that rewards companies in this state, not chases them away.
I will still disagree about the voters. "welfare families" don't go to the polls. They do not register to vote and if they do they just don't vote. The illegals in this state can't vote. The money that just the illegals don't pay in taxes has to be staggering (I don't have the numbers). And the drain on our system they cause, there hospital bills that I pay for them. My Car insurance that I pAy for them. My vehicle was struck by someone who was in this country illegally, I was injured and my vehicle was wrecked. The other driver didn't have a license, insurance, or even spoke English. The officer said that the citation he issued would go unpaid and ignored and my insurance company was going to have to foot the bill. There is a problem with that.........
I know a teacher who set me straight on this retirement misinformation being done by the republican party. These are facts that can be verified.
The state retirement system, calpers. Accounts for just over 2% of the states budget. Explain to me how that small percentage can be breaking the states budget?
The average retiree in calpers takes home a little over $2,000.00 a month. Less than 1% earn over $1000,000.00 a year.
For every retiree dollar 64 cents comes from investments, 15 cents from employee contributions, 21 cents from employer
contributions.
Calpers is self sustaining. It will not run out of money like social security is going to do.
And the last fact is almost all calpers retirees can not collect social security.
So don't tell me that the people who protect us, provide life saving services to us, or teach our children should give back their retirement benefits.
They do not deserve the smear campaign that the republican party is playing to get people elected at their expense.
I wasn't focusing on the middle class or blaming the middle class. But we do know they keep voting for the same people who don't do good by them. Remember the middle class ALSO keeps getting the squeeze coming from many fronts (not just salary). So ultimately it's not really working out.
I'm sure you must realize that we have a very small middle class in this country compared to thirty years ago. And I'm paying more for fuel and food increases than the cut in salary. So while we may get a salary decrease (or increase ( a perk for voting for someone in Sacramento )). It's not really working out so well in the end because inflation is outpacing us ALL.
That means the governor should be focused elsewhere (like job creation instead of making cuts for some while giving others (loyal voters) a raise) if he wanted to help verses wanting votes? I mean cutting spending is one thing, but picking and choosing is another, altogether. What we need is reasonable and fair cuts and a serious focus on job creation. Neither of which we are seeing.
I'm not saying those people don't deserve a decent union job too, but keep in mind those "welfare families" you wrote about also voted for our governor. These people think they know where their bread and butter comes from. They do.
But if us CA voters really wanted to get a middle class in this country we could start by giving tax breaks to California businesses. There are far too many lawmakers making laws that contradict with each other's laws. And some of the lawsuits come because nobody knows the laws anymore. There are simply too many of them. Many of which contradict each other.
It has come to the point where the lawyers rule the earth. And the legislatures will never legislate themselves out of a job. So they just keep writing laws. Piled higher and deeper.
If you want job security in this country. Get a law degree.
"pinkwillow wrote on Monday, Apr 25 at 08:32 AM »
ILP,
Banking vacation time has nothing to do with the pension system. That is a salary,pay,and benefit issue. You don't mention anything about the banks in this state who spent millions for campaign contributions and advertising, WHILE THEY RECIEVED FEDERAL BAILOUT MONEY..
I am at a loss why you focus on a middle class worker who deserves every penny he/she makes. But let the rich get off free and the other end of the spectrum the illegal or lazy drain on the system.
Any ideas on fixing the lawsuit problem???
Maybe do a little research and see how much money this state looses because of the millions on non tax paying illegal aliens, or the "welfare families" explain why a bank can give someone a loan that does not save a penny?
Stop blaming the middle class. Be careful of what you ask for, all these public service workers will go back to the private sector when you strip the only reason for doing those thankless jobs they do. You do get what you pay for.
Read more: Tracy Press - His Voice Sensible budget reforms go unheard"
Remember say it load and often and it will be true.
I went to the calpers website and could not locate anything that indicated that they received bailout money. Could you please provide a link that you are getting your info from.
You are partially correct about the auto unions. They were partially to blame for those companies failures, because they made substandard overpriced products. But that is a different discussion entirely.
I think I understand now, you are not against public employee unions, you are against all unions public and private.
Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't "stimulus" money provided to every taxpayer that qualified irregardless of their union affiliation? Wasn't "bailout" money provided only to private companies to keep them from closing
their doors, such as banks,savings and loans, and the auto industry?
You are uninformed ... the stimlus package was the biggest public employee / union slush fund in history ... research it for yourself.
Auto companies received it because of the UNIONS!
If you don't think that the public employee coffers were enriched by the stimulus $ then you have been on another planet.
Do your homework.
I'm not sure which stimulus package you were referring to. I know about the money that the govt gave to most tax payers, regardless of if they were in a union or not. I say most because I didn't get any money from that program.
I know they bailed out the banking industry, not sure. About any public sector unions that got money that way. Also, there was the auto industry that the govt. Bailed out, but that was also "private" industry.
As far as I know all bailout money went to private citizens or private companies!
I don't know of one instance that the state or federal govt.
gave calpers any money.
I guess if you say the public unions are the problem loud enough Or write it in an article it must be true.
nothing like a little class warfare to stifle real discussion?
The stimilus package was the biggest bailout in history ... going primarily to the public employees coffers ...
And who cares if the private sectors spends on advertising and campaign contributions? Its private ... not like taking Taxpayer Money and putting it in the Union Pacs ... boy, that's fair...
This is not Big Richy Rich trying to get over on poor Mr. Middle Class ... this is about a system that is going over the cliff ... this is a budget issue that is being driven by public employee penison costs (and wage/benifits) ... you don't read the paper? see the s&p downgrade ... see what is happening in Greece, Portugal, Ireland, England, and Iceland ....???
Banking vacation time has nothing to do with the pension system. That is a salary,pay,and benefit issue. You don't mention anything about the banks in this state who spent millions for campaign contributions and advertising, WHILE THEY RECIEVED FEDERAL BAILOUT MONEY..
I am at a loss why you focus on a middle class worker who deserves every penny he/she makes. But let the rich get off free and the other end of the spectrum the illegal or lazy drain on the system.
Any ideas on fixing the lawsuit problem???
Maybe do a little research and see how much money this state looses because of the millions on non tax paying illegal aliens, or the "welfare families" explain why a bank can give someone a loan that does not save a penny?
Stop blaming the middle class. Be careful of what you ask for, all these public service workers will go back to the private sector when you strip the only reason for doing those thankless jobs they do. You do get what you pay for.
Let me try to offer a possible explanation...
I'm pretty sure the governer is not about to fix the system. He ran on a platform saying he had bold new ideas and then asked the voters to do him the favor of voting on it, instead.
If we send people to office who wont do the work for the voters who are they working for?
Maybe they are working for special interest groups instead of the people of California?
Read todays news:
"California Gov. Jerry Brown negotiated a contract with the politically powerful prison guards’ union that lets guards bank an unlimited amount of vacation time they get paid for when they retire at a substantial cost to taxpayers, a legislative analyst said Tuesday. [BloombergBusinessWeek]
The average correctional officer already has nearly 19 weeks of accumulated leave time, currently valued at $600 million. Adding more time will cost the state in the long run, said fiscal and policy analyst Nick Schroeder to Bloomberg Business Week, though he couldn’t say how soon or how much.
Former Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger battled the union, imposing a contract in 2006 that eliminated many of the concessions negotiated by his predecessor Gray Davis.
Reference:
The 30,000 member union backed Brown’s campaign for governor."
http://calcoastnews.com/2011/04/governor-brown-calls-for-better-deal-for-prison-guards/
How do you cap spending? You do know that if the state spends over budget, it will borrow more.
That is the american way. We borrowed more than we made, in the form of realistate. When the day came to pay up, we walked away, short sale'd. THAT caused the problem were in. You do realize that the state makes it's money by taxes don't you? So because of greedy banks and ignorant "honest hard working citizens" you now blame pensions and lawsuits for the state of the economy.
How do you fix a burdensome and overly generous pension system? can you explain why these systems are what you describe?
How do you prevent lawsuits? Are you propose the govt. now control who can seek relief through the justice system?
There is no mention about the hard working tax paying citizens having to pay for the illegial aliens who flood our medical system, school classrooms. What about the lazy people that just refuse to work and they let the state pay for them also.
Please explain why you want to take away from those that do pay into the sytem for those that don't. How is that fair?
It's people like you that have caused this problem to begin with. Not the pension or the court system.
Speaking of frivilous lawsuits. I wish the author could do something about Traqc?
There should have been a conflict of interest clause where the author of Measure A should have distinct authorship only rights and no legal basis for filing four, five, six, seven or a dozen lawsuits.
My goodness, even the constitution divides powers into three distinct branches so that one (1) solitary special interest group cannot be the judge and jury and run for local office too?
Unfortunately the voters did this to themselves when they believed Measure A would be best for OUR interests. Who would have known it would be designed to benefit someone who is not even a citizens of Tracy?