LAT on McCain's week to forget

On today's front page, the LAT argues that John McCain had "a week he may wish to forget." The LAT reports that McCain "seemed" to say that Social Security is a disgrace and "was wordless on video" when asked whether insurance companies should have to pay for birth control. Then the LAT added Phil Gramm's comment about "whiners." One accurate account out of three seems good enough for the LAT. Incidentally, has the LAT reported Jesse Jackson's remarks about Obama?

LAT publishes disgusting piece on McCain marriages

On today's front page, the LAT publishes a long piece on John McCain's first marriage, it's breakup and his subsequent marriage to Cindy. It's a long piece consuming parts of 3 pages that contains nothing pertinent to the presidential election campaign. Much of it is rumor or hearsay. Few people who actually know anything were willing to speak to reporters. That includes McCain's first wife and Nancy Reagan, who is mentioned prominently in the piece. The LAT needs to justify publishing such old rubbish.

LAT's Skelton wants a tax hike

LAT columnist George Skelton argues today that the requirement in California's constitution that tax increases pass by two-thirds vote in both houses of the legislature is "dopey." California's government needs more money and Skelton knows no other way to get it. Skelton must think Californians are under taxed. Tax revenues go up every year even without tax rate increases. California's population increases every year, meaning there are more Californians to pay tax. California's economy grows every year, which means that income and sales tax collections increase each year. But outlays grow faster than revenue. Why is that? Skelton doesn't broach the subject.

California Dems plan a tax hike

California's Democrat lawmakers yesterday proposed increasing state income taxes on the wealthy by $9.7 billion. It's the only thing they could think of to partly-cover the state's $17 billion budget deficit. Cutting spending is something they never do. Fortunately, the Dems can't raise taxes without some Republican votes. We'll see how much backbone Republican lawmakers have.

LAT glorifies Prop.13

Only days after writing that Prop. 13 should be blamed for Califoria's fiscal woes, the LAT reports this morning that it is a stabilizing factor and accounts this year for increased property tax collections in a down year for real estate. Kudos to the LAT for reporting this news. Sadly, they probably wanted to bury it. Liberals hate Prop. 13 because it limits property tax increases.

The nonpartisan LAT

The LAT has finally published something factual about Barack Obama, saying his fiscal plan doesn't add up. He can't pay for all the things he has promised, the LAT says. Will wonders never cease.

LAT identifies CA fiscal culprits

The LAT, on the front page today, identifies what it says are the main reasons why California's government is in such poor shape fiscally. The main culprits, it says, are Proposition 13 and the requirement that tax increases receive a two-thirds vote in the legislature.

The LAT's implicit conclusion is that California has a revenue problem, not a spending problem. Absent Proposition 13, property taxes would bring in more revenue. Absent the two-thirds requirement, the Democrat-controlled legislature would have raised income and sales taxes. Absent the two handicaps, the budget would be balanced, the LAT apparently believes.

But spending would have increased to absorb any new revenue. The only restraint on spending is the requirement that the budget be balanced. Even that is not much of a restraint because the requirement is violated each year as the state borrows and uses accounting gimmicks to make the budget appear to be balanced.

Facing a $17 billion budget deficit, the legislature and the governor have plans for future new spending on infrastructure, health care and global warming. They just have no plan for how to pay for the new spending.