During a news conference Thursday to kick off the campaign for the six initiatives, Schwarzenegger said he believes voters will see past the higher costs. He said the taxes and fee increases will protect the programs they care about reports the Associated Press in the San Francisco Chronicle.
“People will vote yes on stability in education, stability in prisons, stability in law enforcement and stability in health care and all of those things,” the Republican governor said.
“I think the people know that you can’t continue with one year having the money and the next year not having the money, or in a state of bankruptcy. I think the people know that the state has been suffering because of that, and for a long time.”
Increases in the state sales tax, personal income tax and vehicle license fee are tied to a measure on the May 19 special-election ballot that would establish a rainy day fund and limit increases in spending. If voters approve the spending cap, the taxes would be extended for up to two additional years.
The other measures would protect education funding after the rainy day fund is set up, authorize borrowing $5 billion from future lottery sales to balance the current budget, transfer money from some social programs to others and prohibit pay raises for the Legislature and governor when the state falls into a deficit.
The Republican governor and leaders from both political parties agreed to the six ballot measures after months of negotiations over how to solve the state’s $42 billion budget deficit. The package passed the Legislature last week after marathon sessions that involved last-minute horse-trading to secure the votes of three Republicans in each house.
If voters reject any of the financing measures, lawmakers would have to find ways to fill the gap.
The language of Proposition 1A, the spending cap and rainy day fund, does not mention the associated tax increases. Neither did the information packet handed out during the governor’s news conference, which proclaimed: “Proposition 1A protects us from higher taxes and protects vital services.”
Schwarzenegger appeared with Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, former Senate minority leader Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto, a California business leader, construction workers and two county sheriffs.
Read more here: Schwarzenegger starts campaign for ballot measures