California budget negotiations hit a new snag

[Journeyman]

Source: Los Angeles Times

Senate Republicans move to replace their leader, who had joined with Democrats in pushing for higher taxes to help close a $42-billion gap.

By Eric Bailey and Jordan Rau

Reporting from Sacramento -- As California's government continued its grinding downshift toward insolvency, efforts to close the state's nearly $42-billion budget gap hit a new snag late Tuesday as Republicans in the state Senate moved to replace their leader.

Around 11 p.m., a group of GOP senators, unhappy with the higher taxes that Senate leader Dave Cogdill of Modesto agreed to as part of a deal with the governor and Democrats, sought to oust him in a private caucus meeting in Cogdill's office. It was unclear whether the group would succeed.

An ouster could be a major setback to budget negotiations. Cogdill was a lead negotiator on the budget package and had committed to voting for it. If he were removed from his leadership post, a new Senate minority leader would likely try to renegotiate the deal, which lawmakers spent three months forging.

Meanwhile, the Senate remained deadlocked after hours of debate, still without the final Republican vote required to achieve the two-thirds majority for approval of more than $14 billion in new taxes.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-budget18-2009feb18,0,2637442.story

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(Posted without comment, for what can be said in the face of institutional madness?)

[villager]

1. These fuckers grow more insane every day -- they all need to be removed

n/t

[Left Coast2020]

2. This 2/3rd's hoseshit needs to go.

Thats the main part of the problem. And the boobengrabber doesn't give a shit either. I'm on a list to be called for a job once they end this BS. The longer this goes on, the more behind I get on bills. :banghead:

[shraby]

3. Those checks don't come to the rank and file,

there will be a storming of the bastille. Times are tough and those paychecks and tax refunds are vital to people's survival.

[Turbineguy]

4. The repubs are desperate

to own a depression.

We have to find a substitute.

Monica Lewinsky, please pick up a white courtesy telephone!

[Frances]

5. I agree that the 2/3 rule effectively makes CA

a Repub state even though the majority of the people are Dems

The Repubs want NO gov't--no public schools, no public roads, no public police, no public firefighters, and certainly no public libraries