Blah Blah Blah
I sent an email to the governor, and I got this canned response:
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me about my proposal to expand the sales and use taxes to include veterinarian services. I appreciate your input during these challenging times.
Shortly after adopting the 2008-09 budget, economic conditions began deteriorating rapidly, and California faced a massive revenue shortfall that would only grow unless corrective action was taken. After months of negotiating with Republicans and Democrats, we still have not reached an agreement on a solution, and estimates now show our budget deficit reaching a staggering $42 billion during the next 18 months if nothing is done. Now is the time to turn the page on months of failed negotiations and move forward with the balanced budget my administration proposed on December 31.
To close the budget shortfall, I have proposed to reduce spending by $17.4 billion. I have made tough choices I wish I did not have to make, and I know this is a terrible time to cut programs people depend on. But in an emergency like this, we have to take quick action to avoid even worse problems - even if they include making decisions we don't like. To generate new revenue, I am proposing to apply the sales and use tax rate to veterinarian services at 6.5 percent. We selected industries that already have infrastructure in place to implement this tax in a timely fashion. I know this is a terrible time to expand sales taxes, but we have to take quick action to deal with this fiscal emergency.
I continue to urge Californians to call their legislators, send them e-mails and postcards and tell them to not waste any more time. It is time for Republicans and Democrats to put politics aside and make the tough choices needed to keep our state from a financial disaster that will take years to recover from.
Sincerely,
Arnold Schwarzenegger
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