California budget cuts: Are there alternatives?

From our member Connie Peterson comes this:

The proposed cuts to vital social service programs are nothing short of draconian, and there are reasonable alternatives to further attacking the least among us. This information is from http://fixthebudgetnow.org.

According to two recent polls (found here and here), many Californians support some revenue increases and do not favor drastic cuts to education and other essential services. According to the polls:

• 74 percent of California voters support increasing tobacco taxes on tobacco.
• 73 percent of California voters support an oil extraction tax on oil companies that every other oil producing state has.
• 63 percent of California voters support closing the tax loophole that allows corporations to avoid reassessment of newly purchased property.
• 63 percent of California support raising the state income tax for top earners (10 percent for individuals earning more than $272,000 a year, and 11 percent for individuals earning more than $544,000 a year.
• 59 percent of California voters support prohibiting corporations from offsetting more than fifty percent of their taxes through tax credits.

Our legislators must be encouraged to fight for increased revenues from those who can afford to pay as an alternate to the cuts-only tactics supported by our Governor. I would like to encourage all V4CF members to communicate that fact with our State Legislators: Assemblyman Villines(R) and Arambula (D) and Senators Codgill (R) and Florez(D). Progressive tax increases need to be on the table. Some excellent detailed suggestions are available at http://caltaxreform.org.

Connie, thanks for the information!