Republican Budget Hypocrisy: Round Two

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Yesterday I outlined the four big lies of the Republican spin on the state budget. Due to popular request, here are two more.

Senate Republicans continue to call for additional reductions in spending and have complained that annual expenditures exceed annual revenues (their "structural deficit" argument). However, the Assembly-passed budget is far better on both of those issues than recent state budgets that current GOP Senators supported.

1. This budget increases spending only 1.3%, far below inflation and population increases.
2. This budget's expenditure increases are far below the projected annual revenue increase of 6%, which means for the first time since Schwarzenegger has become Governor, expenditure increases are less than revenue increases. 

Ironically, GOP Senators have had little problem supporting the past three budgets -- each of which increased spending and made the "structural deficit" worse -- while only one GOP Senator is now willing to support a budget that holds the line on new spending and actually makes the "structural deficit" significantly better. 

Here are the facts:

• 2004-05: 
• Budget increased spending $5.1 billion
• Spending increased 6.7% while revenues were projected to increase only 3.6%. 
  Current Republican Senators that voted to increase spending by $5.1 billion that far exceeded increased revenues, thus making the "structural deficit" worse: Ackerman, Ashburn, Cox, Dutton, Harmon, Maldonado, and Wyland.
• 2005-06:
• Budget increased spending $8.3 billion
• Spending increased 10.2% while revenues were projected to increase only 5.3%. 
  Current Republican Senators that voted to increase spending by $8.3 billion that far exceeded increased revenues, thus making the "structural deficit" worse: Ackerman, Ashburn, Battin, Cox, Denham, Dutton, Maldonado, and Runner.
• 2006-07:
• Budget increased spending $8.5 billion
• Spending increased 9.2% while revenues were projected to increase only 1.7%. 
  Current Republican Senators that voted to increase spending $8.5 billion that far exceeded increased revenues, thus making the "structural deficit" worse: Ackerman, Ashburn, Denham, and Dutton.
• 2007-08 (currently before the Senate): 
• Budget increases spending only $1.3 billion
• Spending increases only 1.3% while revenues are projected to increase 6%. 
  Current Republican Senators that have voted to hold the line on new spending far below new revenues, thus making the "structural deficit" better: Maldonado.

Based on past budget votes, apparently the real Senate Republican objection to the budget now before the Senate is that it simply does not increase spending enough.

What do you say to that, Dick Ackerman?