Comments on: Lies, Damn Lies, and California Budget Proposals

By: Craig Baltz

Craig Baltz — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:19:10 +0000

It’s not underwitholding if I’m having enough money taken out of my check to pay my tax burden. I don’t think there is any law or legislation that requires that I have to have money available for them to borrow.

By: Peter

Peter — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:07:39 +0000

“Accounting trick” seems a bit kind. This is just a stunt to close the budget gap, next year the budget gap will therefore be bigger. It does not fix anything, it just postpones the problem until next year, the typical politician way of dealing with problems.

By: Quincy

Quincy — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 05:00:11 +0000

tfr –

Underwithholding is a crime in California, so you can’t really do that. Plus, since this move is designed specifically to get money into the current fiscal year, I’d bet trying to do that is a fast track to getting prosecuted.

Dana –

It’s an accounting trick. They get your money to spend this year, and spent it will be. Your refund will actually be taxes paid by someone else next year, assuming the state has the revenue to do so.

By: Dana

Dana — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:59:00 +0000

Can anyone explain how withholding can be included by the PMIB in their assessment and how MY money, withheld by Ca., is not there to give back to me as a refund?

By: tfr

tfr — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:18:23 +0000

Here’s my question:
If you Californians get an IOU for your tax refund this year, do you deduct it directly off of what you owe next year? Adjust your withholdings so that you owe more than that at tax time, and just don’t send the relevant amount.

By: Quincy

Quincy — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:04:56 +0000

If the state can’t make its obligations this year, and they are going to take an extra 10% in withholding, how can we be assured that next year when we are due the refund including the extra 10% as they state, that the state will have revenue to pay back the tax payer with something other then I.O.U’s?

That’s a great question. In fact, there is no guarantee that withholding won’t stay higher and that citizens won’t get IOUs. This *is* a tax hike, even if our self-styled overlords in Sacramento choose to give us some of it back, eventually.

By: common sense

common sense — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:10:09 +0000

If the state can’t make its obligations this year, and they are going to take an extra 10% in withholding, how can we be assured that next year when we are due the refund including the extra 10% as they state, that the state will have revenue to pay back the tax payer with something other then I.O.U’s?

Also notice that the cuts are in areas that will anger the public rather then in other wasteful spending by the state.

I am sure that there are other programs in the state that could be cut or eliminated without having to corner the taxpayer by cutting programs that are important to the future success of California and its citizens.

Remember that we are being told that we will need to be trained for the jobs of the future so how can we be trained if we cut the programs that are supposed to train us?

I thought that education was one of the most important areas we should invest in, (we hear it during every election cycle) we are told by the government and anyone running for election that education is most important yet it always appears to be one of the first things that the government cuts when they have budget woes.

When will the people of California as well as the rest of the U.S. going to wake up and realize that they are being manipulated. Is there anyone who possesses critical thinking skills anymore?

Please don’t waste mine or others time commenting about my grammar or spelling, stick to the subject at hand, “The California State Budget and the cuts made to support it”.

By: Quincy

Quincy — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:32:51 +0000

Given the precarious state of California’s economy, I’m betting that these ill-conceived tax hikes will not bring in the revenue that the state thinks they will. Businesses will close, jobs will be lost, and fewer people will have paychecks to from which taxes can be withheld.

By: Peter

Peter — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:41:07 +0000

So, since the state of California has horrible credit, they are now forcing their citizens to give them interest free loans to cover the gap in the budget. I suppose it might sound like a good idea, having the state get the money they need without any interest, but the individuals could certainly find places to put their money that have a higher interest than zero, like just about anywhere else.

By: John/ San Diego

John/ San Diego — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:50:20 +0000

Maybe, you could do better. I doubt it.