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Sacramento Bee Columnist Dan Walters on the California Governor’s push to raise taxes in an effort to avoid cuts to the state’s schools.
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Political blackmail and the Golden State -- California governor Jerry Brown lays down just two options in his controversial ballot magic measure known as prop.
Thirty -- either cough up your fair share in higher taxes or he'll slash funding to education.
And cut weeks off the school year.
The message -- -- its money into this schools -- money out of the schools this is.
Third grade arithmetic.
-- now residents have another option on the table.
But -- high -- voters be satisfied with the solution Dan Walters political columnist for the Sacramento bee joins me now with the latest.
-- -- -- the show it's great to have you here let's bring down the governor's plan a little more detail.
Talking about the rates particularly on the wealthy here for the next seven years it's going to be yeah.
-- he would raise the safe state sales tax by a quarter of a percent raise about a billion dollars a year and then he would raise the income tax rates on.
High income basically the one person owners at the top of the in come pyramid.
Every either 1% 2% or 3% and raise another five billion dollars a year these -- be temporary taxes sales taxes for four years in the income taxes for seven years.
And keeping in mind -- income tax on top of the federal income tax that you pay all the time I mean it adds up I don't know why people -- -- California I got its IF the taxes are out of control.
Now.
Approvals.
Of Brown's plan tankan like -- not too surprising here it's below 50% at 48%.
This is this thing they -- -- -- to defeat what's gonna happen here.
I'd say the most likely thing -- it will go down it's been losing ground steadily.
Over the last several weeks it seems like -- -- the governor campaigns for the worse it does this down now and to 40% one poll 46 -- percent and other new poll.
And the direction is downward -- and he knows -- you can tell by the body language and how he's becoming kind of more frantic and he's campaigning that he knows he's in big trouble.
-- you know he said it's simple it's money into education money out of education in the math is the so simple up wouldn't say six greater can understand it.
But their people out there questioning whether the money is really gonna go to education -- not what do you believe.
Well actually if -- were passed some of the money would have to go to education by it because of the state constitution but not all of it.
And even the money that would go to.
The education it really wouldn't go to them immediately would be kind of put onto reserve account it's if it's so complicated you can't even begin to explain it.
Because it's so complicated only three people only whole stadium professed understand how works and they don't agree.
But yes some money would go to schools but not necessarily immediately.
Most of the money or at least half of the money if not -- so would go to other services to try to close the State's budget deficit.
Well and you and you get a big problem there house -- probably solve the have a better idea.
Well I think it's a dangerous kind of a proposal because it puts it makes us even more dependent on high income taxpayers how well they're doing in the stock market -- already very dependent on those California.
This -- is even more dependent which means.
We're depend on how do you know of their incomes which are go up and down -- You're really need more stability and state finances probably need to -- C.
Broaden out -- state income tax and make it less depend about a few wealthy people but course that's not a very popular thing to do.
But doesn't really -- get.
I think yeah it's not a popular thing to do you say that the governor is a lot like Arnold former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in what way.
Well -- Schwarzenegger did with a bunch of ballot measures back in 205.
He's trying to make it personal it's his personal crusade.
And so his popularity plays a lot into this.
Tax measure.
Basically -- is the polls show that his tax measure stands at about the same levels his approval rating which is something around 45%.
And it's not 50% it's not 51% it's about four department he's 45% the tax measures 45%.
By making it personal.
DP he kind of -- diluted his message -- it was about the schools has become something like it's about Jerry Brown not necessary this.
Rules.
You know.
When you look at the tax rates in California income tax nine point 3% nine point 3%.
State sales income tax seven point 25%.
The burden and that state is so heavy.
How any economy succeed how can how can California.
Get companies to move there when the burden is so happening.
Well it's it's it's an argument people say that how can we get the investment capital we need to put.
Two million people are unemployed in California back on the payroll if we have such a high tax schedule is.
Very -- regulatory structure and this would obviously put some more on top and actually would go up to thirteen.
And point 3% for those at the very highest brackets because there's another 1% on top of nine point 3% that was put -- about the eight years ago.
So -- actually be -- top marginal rate California would be thirteen point 3%.
While on top of like what you're paying -- the Fed's -- -- for coming on tonight great job -- fascinating story.
What -- wait and see what the California voters do thank you.
