Calling the Bluff

Ok, I admit it, this isn't an actual picture of Senate Democratic Minority Leader Jorge Garcia...but it's close.

You will recall that both the House and Senate Democratic caucuses have complained that they are being left out of the budget negotiations and both groups have developed alternative proposals--honest proposals that called for substantial tax increases. 

The Arizona Daily Star--apparently not realizing that their Democratic Friends were bluffing--went so far as to say how great the (House) Democratic proposal was.

Last week, I mentioned that Senator Jonathan Paton had a great idea--put the Senate Democratic Budget on the board and see how many votes it has.  

Responding to criticism that they are not including Democrats in budget negotiations, Senate Republicans are challenging the minority party to put forward a budget bill that can go up for a vote.

After failing to consider that the Republicans might actually call their bluff, the Senate Democrats went into meltdown. 

Their first excuse for not voting on their own budget was that there was no way to vote on their bill because, after all, they couldn't get it out of the Appropriations Committee.  (This is a lame excuse; their proposal can be offered on the floor as an amendment to any budget bill.) 

Nevertheless, Senate Appropriations Chairman Russell Pearce removed this excuse by offering to help the Democrats get the bill out of Committee.  When the Democrats refused the help, Pearce and Paton explained the real reason.

Pearce and Paton said they would not vote for the Democratic plan, nor do they think it will pass — in fact, they don't even think all of the Democrats' 12 senators would vote for it.

But that's part of the point.

 

"Let's vote for it," Paton said. "Let's see if the members of this Senate are willing to vote for those tax increases. I think it is a completely legitimate thing for us to be put on the record on all of these different topics."

 

Senate Democrats didn't even bother to "call" they went straight to "fold."

 

Senate Democrats will not introduce a budget proposal for consideration by the full body — a challenge, of sorts, put forth this week by Republicans.

 

The latest excuse is priceless.

 

"After consultation with our trusted advisers, it was decided that the resources required to accomplish this task would be an inefficient exercise," Garcia said on the Senate floor Wednesday.

 

What do you want to bet that the "trusted advisers" are the editorial board of the Star?  Notice the passive voice and the code talk?  "Inefficient?" It's like a two-page amendment that could be sponsored in a few minutes.  What's inefficient about that?   Let me translate the entire sentence for you.  

 

"I called the Star and told the Board that we figured out it would be crazy for all of us to vote for a big tax increase.  Just because we PROPOSED it doesn't mean, you know, we actually SUPPORT it. Damn that Jonathan Paton, I curse the ground he walks on."

 

Now that the Senate Democrats have folded, it's time for the Speaker to put the House Democratic tax increases on the board and see if any of them are willing to vote for it.  But don't hold your breath.  I'm sure we will learn that their "trusted advisers" have deemed such an exercise "inefficient."

 

I'm sure that the hapless Star editorial writers were surprised to learn that the Democrats were just playing games, but they were among the few who were fooled. 

 

I think the Dems would be better off if they stopped playing games and tried to make some real suggestions.  But if they insist on playing games, I recommend that they avoid poker--they just don't have the knack for it.

 

 

 

Comments

[Tom-AZ]

I hate to admit that you are right, but they totally caved. Talk about giving into our stereotype

[John H.]

If I was the Senate Dems, or the House Dems for that matter, I'd certainly be actively moving budget proposals to the floor of the legislature and letting Republican members flounder when the press jumps all over them for not voting to increase taxes on the wealthiest Arizonans (CEO's and the like) and corporations who've proven time and again that they are not the economic engines they claim to be. Polling data clearly shows that Arizonans are not only ready to see an overhaul of our tax structure but a comprehensive plan to continue funding vital services such as public education and healthcare.

Our state's economy may be struggling and those at the bottom of the tax bracket in Arizona deserve a break--one that fairly taxes those earning enough to pick up the slack. Now is the time to create a fair tax structure that focuses on equity in taxation. Certainly some conservative will refute my comment stating that those at the top pick-up the largest dollar amount with respect to state revenue and they're absolutely right. Corporations and high income earners ($250,000 or more per year) do pay more actual dollars to our state's general fund than the rest of us. But, by percentage to actual income they're paying far less than those of us struggling to make ends meet.

Let's take these budgets for a test drive and see how well voting NO works for those Republicans in competitive legislative districts. While Russell Pearce and others like him can live fat and happy in the reality that they'll never face viable opposition in their districts there are several who are vulnerable to a November battle.

Without this type of reform our state will be left out of the economic race for global competitiveness.

[Jim Torgeson]

Figures. All talk, no action.

[Mr. T]

You are conveniently omitting the fact that President Bob Burns said he wouldn't let any budget that didn't have 16 votes come to the floor -- he said it after the saber rattling from Paton and Pearce (who, by the way, backtracked on letting the Dem budget out of his committee the next day).

And if the Star didn't have that information, maybe you should do some of that reporting you're always criticizing everyone else for failing to do.

I also like how the Star's editorial board is like some sort of mastermind organization, pulling the strings on local elected officials. Dude, they're not the Illuminati.

[Commander in Chief]

Just when you thought it couldn't possibly get any worse for the Republican party. . .

Where to start? A unanimous ruling in the Iowa Supreme Court in favor of gay marriage? Vermont, once the bastion of blue blooded New England Republicanism, cannot muster enough votes to override a veto and passes legislation to allow gay marriage. What's the poor Republican party to do when racism and gay bashing aren't working anymore? Turn to economic agenda, of course.

The Obama budget reverses three decades of Reaganism. No more stealing from the middle class and feeding the rich. The Republican party fails to offer any reasonable alternative. Instead, they offer a "budget" with no numbers. Then, belatedly, a budget so transparently fraudulent that their own members won't support it. And Obama's budget sails through the Congress. Brilliant.

The national face of the Republican party is Rush Limbaugh, Bobby Jindal, Newt Gingrich, and Sarah Palin. Ouch. And here at home?

Joe Arpaio, Andrew Thomas, and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors continue their pathetic infighting. The taxpayers, of course, foot the bill.

School districts all over the state are RIFing teachers by the dozens. Tom Horne announces they're "overreacting."

The Republican leadership of our legislature remains locked up behind closed doors. After three months. Governor Brewer continues to talk tax hikes. Burns, Pearce, and Adams are obviously going to propose a combination of drastic budget cuts coupled with borrowing money and the same set of book juggling tricks that they bitched and moaned about when Janet used them. Even Republicans in the legislature have been left completely in the dark about what's going to be cut, how much will be borrowed at what cost, and which juggling tricks will be deployed.

The horse poop will be hitting the fan shortly. Even a clueless Republican rag like the Republic keeps noticing, in between articles from the RNC rooting for Obama to fail under the guise of "analysis." Soon, the Republicans are going to have to line up. Go along with the governor and raise taxes? Slash and burn, even when almost no on was included in the decision of what to cut? Borrow and spend? Juggling games, anyone? Will Arizona Republicans stand with their governor, stand up for huge spending cuts while people are watching teachers laid off, or will they try to get away with borrowing and book juggling? My bet is this: the Arizona Republican party is going to tear itself to pieces. The Gould walk-out on the governor has already shown just how nasty it's going to get. Horrible knock down bare knuckled no holds barred show no mercy take no prisoners primary dogfights for governor, for McCain's seat, for every other state office, for at least a quarter of the Republican held seats in the legislature? Fun, fun, fun.

It would be great fun, as a Democrat, to just sit back and watch the Republican party destroy itself. They did an outstanding job of it on the national level in the last four years. It's very obvious to me they're headed in the exact same direction in Arizona. The only problem is the grievous damage they keep inflicting on innocent bystanders during their self-immolation.

So line up, guys. Governor Brewer's tax hike? The secret slash and burn budget that can't be kept secret much longer? Borrow and spend? Juggle the books? Where do you stand?

My bet is the governor wins. A tax hike will go on the ballot, and it will pass.

[Simon says:]

One thing I think you're right about commander: there is still much more bloodletting to occur in the Republican Party in this state. I am a real moderate and think that one more thing that does not bode well for the R's is the fact that the people who pulled the strings behind the scenes for the dem's in Az in the 08 cycle got on the plane and are not coming back anytime soon (thank God and good riddance).

[Dave K.]

CIC: What's the atmosphere like on your planet?

At some point, perhaps you and others like you will begin to understand that it's not about Obama or Bush, per se, but about big government in general.

You'd think that the tens of thousands of ordinary peope who showed up at "tea parties" nationwide yesterday to demonstrate their frustration with the tax and spend philosophy of big government would have given you all a clue, but apparently not.

I know, I know, it was Dick Armey, it was AFP, it was a shadow conspiracy of right-wing war veterans, blah blah blah.

At some point, heads must come up out of sandpits, and realization must set in, or Darwin will surely come calling ...