The week ahead: And then there were two

150 150 Chris Nelson

The Lede: Tax measure field narrowed from three to two

The big story last week was that Gov. Jerry Brown played it safe by merging his revenue measure with a competing one backed by the California Fedearation of Teachers to avoid the disaster of three measures canceling each other out and having no approved revenue increase whatsoever on November 6.

He basically halved his proposed sales tax increase and made up the difference by including a larger tax increase on the wealthiest Californians. In doing so, he appeases those on the left rallying behind the populist cry for heavier taxation on the rich but still changes little in his measure’s lack of appeal to the right.

Now it’s a race to get the necessary 800,000 signatures by mid-May to hae a shot at qualifying. The measure’s first speed bump came when the LAO said that this measure, like the previous incarnation, overshot its revenue estimates, this time to the tune of $2.2 billion.

Time will tell, but geting the CFT off of his back and on his side was undoubtedly a big win for Gov. Brown.

Bullet Points

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Chris Nelson

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