Davis taxes

— What’s the lead story in California politics? This article from Rough & Tumble tells all:

Gov.
Gray Davis proposed raising taxes Tuesday on smokers and motorists to help overcome
what has grown into a $23.6-billion budget shortfall, saying there was no other
way to protect schools. The move reversed a promise Davis made in January not
to ask for tax increases. Julie Tamaki and
Miguel Bustillo in the Los
Angeles Times Greg Lucas, Mark Martin, Lynda Gledhill
in the San
Francisco Chronicle Dion Nissenbaum
in the San
Jose Mercury Mitchel Benson in the Wall
Street Journal Barbara Whitaker in the
New York Times
William Booth in the Washington
Post John Hill in the Sacramento
Bee John Howard in the Orange
County Register Andrew LaMar in the
Contra Costa Times
Ed Mendel in the San
Diego Union Will Shuck in the Stockton
Record Steve Geissinger in the Oakland
Tribune Lesli A. Maxwell in the Fresno
Bee Erik N. Nelson in the Los
Angeles Daily News Robert Garrett in
the Riverside
Press Jim Miller in the Modesto
Bee Timm Herdt in the Ventura
Star — 5/15/02

I’ve never seen so many links in one story before, anywhere. In essence, the Gov. proposes to cut all social programs except the most ineffective one, public education, and to raise the taxes on drivers and smokers. So light one up for the People, dude. The Prison Guards just got another 35% raise, in case you were wondering; but it’s cool, they paid for it.