Unfortunately neither Republicans or Democrats have articulated any public-justice view for the role of State Government. Democrats have no limits so state and government becomes everything and spin out of control. Republicans, meanwhile, tend to reduce the scope of government to protection of property and contracts with no regard for the rights of other social structures in civil society.

Worst of all, both left and right have a hard time keeping government as political community distinct from faith community, whether articulated as some anachronistic socialist worldview or self-righteous American civil religion.

“Put it all together, and it’s a big, fat political mess. The contending ideological factions have been rolling toward this calamity for years, adopting budget after budget that evaded underlying conflicts of spending and revenues with gimmicks and wishful thinking, well aware that any economic downturn could put them into a hole too deep to ignore.

“It’s finally happened. No one – and that includes the governor and 120 legislators – has the slightest notion of how or when the mess will be cleaned up, or whether it will be.”

Generally, the LAO report agreed with the findings of the Lewin Group study of 2006 with regard to the impact of single payer on the growth in health care spending and found that Lewin’s projections for the legislation’s impact on health care spending were reasonable. Like Lewin, the LAO analysis identified substantial savings on administrative costs, bulk purchasing of drugs and durable medical equipment, and confirmed that it would lower the rate at which costs grow every year.

UPDATE BUT IT IS ALL BULLSHIT

She hid data from final LAO report

http://www.sacbee.com/weintraub/story/1012763.html

The most important news from the LAO’s report is that the single-payer camp grossly underestimated how much taxes it would need to fund fully the government takeover. Indeed, all four new and increased taxes proposed in SB 840, plus existing federal health transfers and currently funded state programs (Medi-Cal, etc.), would only pay for three quarters of 2010-2011 single-payer budget, and four-fifths in 2015-2016 (p. 8).

Senator Kuehl’s solution, confided to the LAO, is that SB 840’s originally proposed taxes should be increased by about one-third: from 12 percent to 16 percent on the new payroll taxes, and from 11.5 percent to 15.5 percent on the new investment income taxes (p.12).

With such a surge in taxes, no wonder Senator Kuehl wanted to keep the LAO’s report confidential. The revelations, however, should launch a new dialogue on health care. When Californians ask about single-payer health care, they should inquire what it costs. A truthful answer would concede: “An awful lot more than we thought.”

The “No More Taxes - We Are Taxed To The Max” action was sponsored by Americans for Prosperity. Thanks to Phyllis Stout, president of the Lamorinda Women, who used her one phone call from the Sacramento Police Department’s general booking station for the report and picture, and cell mate, Kris Hunt, for helping to organize the breakout back to Contra Costa County. What resourceful ladies!

Elsewhere in the region:

• Median sales prices in April fell to $379,000 in El Dorado County, down nearly 12 percent from a year ago.

• Yolo County’s median sales price dipped to $308,045, down nearly 27 percent from a year ago.

• Sutter County’s April median was $221,500, down nearly one fourth from last year.

• The median Yuba County sales price was $199,500, down almost 31 percent from last year.

IF THE ADMINISTRATION’S VERSION OF THE WATER BOND IS APPROVED IN LATE NIGHT SESSIONS OF THE LEGISLATURE, IT WILL MEAN THAT A MEASURE GOES TO THE BALLOT ALLOWING OUR TAX DOLLARS TO GO TOWARD BUILDING A NEW PERIPHERAL CANAL WHICH WILL LIKELY SEND OUR WATER SOUTH.

Here’s how you can help. Please send an e-mail and/or call our local Legislators and let them know that you OPPOSE any water bond measure that allows for the building of a Delta bypass or canal which could harm our Delta ecosystem and send our quality Delta water to Southern California.

Here’s who you should contact as soon as possible:

State Senator Tom Torlakson
E-Mail: Senator.Torlakson@sen.ca.gov
District Office: 925-602-6593
Capitol Office: 916-651-4007

Assemblyman Mark DeSaulnier
E-Mail: AssemblymemberDeSaulnier@assembly.ca.gov
District Office: 925-372-7990
Capitol Office: 916-319-2011

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
E-Mail the Governor’s Office
Fax: 916-445-4633
Capitol Office: 916-445-2841

Another way you can help is to SEND THIS E-MAIL TO FIVE OF YOUR FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS OR RELATIVES who live in Contra Costa County. There’s power in numbers. Ask them to SIGN UP at www.StoptheCanal.org, so we can keep them updated on the status of this new Sacramento development. Also, please ask them to send an e-mail to the above Legislators in opposition to building any type of canal around the Delta that might send our water elsewhere.

As a former State Assemblyman, and former Chair of the Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee, I have witnessed how public policy gets made, in the late night, out of public sight and scrutiny. I am concerned that this might happen with the Water bond. Be assured that I will do all I can to keep on top of any new developments.

Thanks for your help with this.

Sincerely,

Joe Canciamilla
www.StoptheCanal.org

For peace officers, firefighters, public safety, and other public employees hired after July 1, 2009, this measure: reduces pension and retirement health care benefits; increases minimum retirement age; restricts early retirement; increases minimum age and years of employment needed to qualify for retirement requires public employers to make annual payments to fund future benefit costs; and allows public employers to adjust retirement contribution rates in future labor agreements. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and employees hired on or after July 1, 2009, offset to an unknown extent by increases in costs for other forms of public employee compensation. Major short-term increase in annual governmental payments to prefund retiree health benefits, more than offset in the long run by annual reductions in these costs. (Initiative 07-0024.) (Full Text)