Palm Desert Hearing Today On Governor’s Redevelopment Plans
A public hearing was scheduled for 1 p.m. on Friday to hear from the public on Gof. Jerry Brown’s (D-Calif.) proposal to phase out redevelopment agencies and funding to cities and counties.
The hearing, planned and hosted by Assy Brian Nestande (R-Palm Desert) and Sen. Bill Emmerson (R-Hemet) will take place at the Palm Desert City Council Chambers at 73-510 Fred Waring Drive.
The meeting comes the same day that Gov. Brown will once again be on the road selling his ideas.
He was scheduled appear at a news conference in Torrance today on behalf of former Assemblyman Ted Lieu’s campaign for the state Senate, continuing his efforts to win support for his proposal to eliminate the $25 billion state budget deficit.
Brown has called for a five-year extension of tax increases initially adopted in 2009, approximately $12 billion in budget cuts and eliminating redevelopment agencies.
Brown has yet to publicly win any Republican support to get the two- thirds vote required to place the tax increase extension on a special election ballot. All but three of the 41 Republican legislators have signed a pledge from Americans for Tax Reform to oppose any and all efforts to increase taxes.
Many mayors, including Los Angeles’ Antonio Villaraigosa, and other local government officials have opposed the plan to eliminate redevelopment agencies.
California voters rejected a two-year extension of the tax increases in a May 2009 special election by a 65 percent-35 percent margin.
California Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring said last month “we are determined to fight this unaffordable tax hike, no matter how many ways the Democrats try to soft sell it.”
“Should the governor ever get around to embracing the serious, structural reforms our state needs, we’ll be be equally supportive in those efforts,” Nehring said.
The news conference comes one day after Brown made his first public appearance in the Los Angeles area since being sworn in last month, expressing cautious optimism that the state will overcome its budget deficit.
“It’s only $25 billion and what’s $25 billion out of $2 trillion,” Brown said Thursday night at the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce’s 122nd annual Inaugural Dinner at the JW Marriott at L.A. Live. “It’s a little bit serious, but I think we can make it.”
Brown told the crowd estimated at 1,500 that “I just want you to know I’m going to level with you, I’ll tell you straight as I see it.”
“I’m going to try to present a plan that will hopefully get Republicans and Democrats,” Brown said. “I don’t want a one-party plan, I want a California plan. I want a plan that will build for the future, not steal from it.”
Before the speech timed by KTTV-TV Channel 11 at 10 minutes, 44 seconds, Brown told reporters that “the Democrats have reservations, the Republicans have reservations, the business leaders have reservations and the labor leaders have reservations” about his budget plan.
“I’m the only one who has no reservations. This is my plan. I think it will work. In due course, I think you’re going to see it accomplished.”
