SACRAMENTO – Senator Ted Gaines (R-Rocklin) today issued the following statement regarding the Democrats’ most recent majority-vote budget plan:

“Once again, this irresponsible budget is not balanced, not honest and not what the people of California deserve from their government. It is a phony, gimmicky document that does nothing to address the chronic, structural overspending that plagues our state and I absolutely could not support it.

“Even worse, it grows state spending by more than $10 billion and assumes that voters will approve an additional $47 billion in sales and income taxes. Tax increases lost in every county in the state in 2009. The tobacco tax failed. It is a huge gamble to bank on voters balancing the budget through higher taxes.

“The Democrats perpetually place the needs of special interests above those of Californians. There’s no pension reform, no job-creating regulatory reform and nothing that increases government efficiency.

“I’ve said this over and over again – we need to enact serious, long-term solutions that will not only prevent future financial meltdowns, but will encourage job creation and allow California’s economy to recover.”

Senator Ted Gaines represents the 1st Senate District, which includes all or parts of Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento and Sierra counties.