Another quote from Last Days of the Late, Great State of California (out of print, but available used) by Curt Gentry:
For all the ado about cutting trimming, and squeezing, the budget submitted [by Ronald Reagan] totaled $5.93 billion–not only considerably higher than Pat Brown’s farewell effort but the highest ever proposed in any state.
To help cover it, Governor Reagan increased the sales tax to 5 percent, imposed additional state taxes on liquor and cigarettes, and raised state income taxes, in many case from 100 to 200 percent.
He was trying.In the heat of the controversy over major budget cuts, some minor cuts passed almost unnoticed. The budget of the State Disaster Agency was cut. And 25 percent was lopped from the $100,000 normally alotted to the Unversity of California’s seismographic laboratory, bringing to an end several promising studies into the origins of earthquakes and the manner of propagation of seismic waves.
He had promised to decrease the cost of state government. He had increased it. He had promised to lower state taxes. He had doubled and tripled them.
Get this book and read it. It is still relevant today.
