[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2011%2F03%2F05%2FBASQ1I2M6L.DTL]
There's been a lot of speculation around the Capitol over exactly what motivated the 30 Republican lawmakers to form a new "taxpayers caucus" last month. The group is dedicated to fighting Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to put taxes on a June ballot unless there's an accompanying ballot measure that would let voters choose to lower taxes by the same amount.
Every one of those legislators had already signed the Grover Norquist "taxpayer protection pledge" where they promised to "oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes." So why did they need another, new pledge?
Even some Republicans - none of whom would speak for the record - expressed bafflement.
Among the theories floating around Sacramento:
-- That taxpayer caucus co-chair Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Thousand Oaks (Ventura County), was making a play for the minority leader role, or just trying to raise his own profile for future political ambitions.
-- That Strickland and other Republicans close to the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association were doing it to provide cover for that group, which took some heat for its position that even letting voters decide on taxes would violate the original no-tax pledge. (Those in this camp point out that the new caucus and the association share a political consultant.)
But as we mentioned above, there's also been consternation among Republicans in the Capitol. Some GOPers told us that many of the new lawmakers who signed the pledge later regretted it, saying they didn't know what they were getting themselves into. (The members who didn't sign the new pledge, including leaders in both houses, have been getting a ton of heat from far-right groups, including influential Southern California radio personalities John and Ken, from KFI (640).) We couldn't reach Strickland on Friday, but last week he told us that the group is simply dedicated to "letting voters decide."
"We said, 'Let's give voters the option, so long as there is an equal or larger tax deduction before them.' We believe that cutting taxes is a way to stimulate the economy," he said. "I'm confident the people of California will vote for a tax cut - it will put more money in people's pockets, and stimulate the economy."
Brown, who has offered to "dispense" Republicans from their original Grover Norquist pledge, touched on the subject Friday in comments to reporters. He said they "didn't take a pledge to deny the people the right to vote," and called opposition to letting voters weigh in "undemocratic."
And the laughs just keep coming: Assembly Speaker John Pérez, D-Los Angeles, spoke to a packed luncheon crowd at the Sacramento Press Club this week, outlining his bill to unincorporate the troubled city of Vernon in Los Angeles County. But before he got to describing some of the reasons for his action - including pay rates for city retirees that drew gasps from the audience - he started with some jokes aimed at journalists.
"Thank you for inviting me to the press club lunch," Perez said to open his remarks. "It's nice to see all of you holding your knives out in the open for a change."
Maybe he's just getting warmed up for his roast in Sacramento on May 31.
We're not sure it's obscene, but ... Whatever happens within the Legislature, you can bet that if Brown's tax proposal gets on a June ballot, the California Republican Party will be campaigning against it.
The governor's plan was christened by his office as the "Public Safety and Public Education Act of 2011."
California Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring called the title "obscenely misleading" and offered suggestions for what he called "more accurate alternative ballot titles."
-- The "We didn't mean it when we called them 'temporary' " Tax Increase Act
-- The "We think it's easier to get more money from you than reform pensions" Act
-- The "Not enough of our tax base has fled to Texas yet" Act
Something tells us the governor's office is not going to be receptive.
And finally: Brown drew laughter from reporters Friday as he was answering questions after his announcement that the Bay Area Council is supporting his budget plan. Asked if he had read a certain Wall Street Journal story, the governor replied, "I don't read the Wall Street Journal so I don't know. If it doesn't appear in the Bee or The Chronicle, I don't know."
Rich Pedroncelli / AP
Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Thousand Oaks (Ventura County), chairs the newly formed GOP taxpayers caucus in Sacramento.
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