Ironic Imbalances: CRP in Debt

by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

The Republicans in the Senate are holding up the state's budget because they are trying to achieve their notion of balance, even though the goal posts for what that entails keep shifting.  Complicated I know, but so is this whole mess.  Here is a simple fact, the Republicans can't even balance their own funds.  So why should we trust them with the state's?  The California Republican Party is in debt, and does not have the cash to pay off its debts.  They are paying off huge loan fees each month, which you know has to be killing them on principle.  The headline in the LAT today is "State GOP awash in red ink"  Ouch.  That has got to hurt.

The state party has only $1.1 million cash on hand, money it needs to hold onto to pay day-to-day expenses such as salaries.

Meanwhile, it is struggling to come up with a plan to pay off $4.2 million in debt.

That is in stark contrast to the Democrats, who have wiped out all but a few thousand dollars of debt and have $5.2 million in the bank.

"There is a sweet irony in it," said Roger Salazar, spokesman for the California Democratic Party.

"The Republicans can't even manage their own party's finances," he said. "They have no business telling the state what to do with its budget."

The Republicans say their financial troubles are the result of donor fatigue after a stretch of five years with a major campaign each year, including the recall in 2003 and the special election called by the governor in 2005.

Waah waah waah.  The Democrats participated in all of the same campaigns, and our fiscal situation is quite healthy.  Man and to think that Arnold just brought in $1.6 million for the Florida Republican Party.  Didn't they cancel the fundraiser he was supposed to do for the CRP earlier this year?