Too bad Bush is such a schmuck; otherwise, you could consider voting Republican.

I like taxation! Just tax everybody!

Sad thing is that Bush has gone a long way towards making Democrats look like the party of fiscal responsibility. I was reading that under Bush, the federal discretionary budget has grown something like 10% per year, compared to an average of 2-3% under Clinton.

......and let's not even TALK about the budget deficite since the Iraqi war began.....
xoxo

I am voting against that measure, for the reasons MB has incicated.

As to Prop 71, the stem cell bill, I am torn. I support the reasearch and wouldn't mind California being known as the world's capital of stem cell research. But where did they come up with $3B over ten years? That's a huge price tag by any measure. I called into a talk show today to ask a big proponent where that figure comes from. Of course, the person hadn't the slightest clue.

How can I vote on that huge a budget increase without anyone justififying the amount involved? Could much have been accomplished at half the cost. I think so. Any thoughts.

And by the way, as to this:

>because a tax should tend to fall on the people who benefit from it

I think MB needs to sharpen this argument a bit as to allow for both direct and indirect benefits. If we restricted taxes to fund only government spending that directly benefitted individuals, there would be no need for government because the market would be able to handle the whole thing.

I do agree that hitting up certain income segments to pay for programs with ostensible social benefits is a bad idea.

re Iraq spending: as far as I know, everything we've spent on Iraq is IN ADDITION to the deficit Bush has already racked up. Granted, it's been a soft cycle for tax revenue, but still.

I did vote for the stem cell research. Maybe that was crazy. But it's an example of something funded with bonds, and the interest costs fall on the state budget, which a cost redistributed among all through tax.

Indirect benefits is ok. Progressive taxation is ok. But usually the $1M-income tax or the phone tax is a sign of a measure that wouldn't have had enough public support as a general measure. You know the signature collection guys were standing in front of supermarkets saying "Make rich people pay their fair share! Make cell phone users pay for their own car accidents!"

Totally with you on the marketing of tax hikes.

Berkeley had no support for putting on a ballot measure that would raise general property taxes. So now it's asking voters to approve separate measures for:

1) youth services
2) libraries
3) paramedic and fire service

All of the money would go into the general fund. None are bond measures. Will be interesting to see if they get away with it.