LOS ANGELES – In a rallying cry for progressive solutions to the state’s budget crisis, Rick Jacobs, founder and chair of the 700,000 member Courage Campaign, made the following statement regarding Governor Schwarzenegger’s address to the joint session of the Legislature:

“When California voters rejected five of the six ballot propositions at the May 19 special election, they did so because they wanted lasting solutions to our budget crisis not temporary fixes crafted without public input.

“We are therefore deeply troubled to hear Governor and the Legislature are proposing to close the budget gap through a particularly reckless and destructive “cuts-only” budget. These cuts will literally hurt and kill people.

“The people of California did not vote to take away dialysis from patients suffering kidney failure. They did not vote to eliminate the AIDS Drug Assistance Program that as Senator Mark Leno states ‘literally keeps people alive.’

“Voters did not ask for the elimination of the Cal Grant Program which enables hard-working students to afford a college education, and they did not vote to lay off more teachers. And they did not vote to close 80% of our state parks.

“Nor did they vote to approve one of the largest corporate tax cuts in state history, allowing companies to essentially write their own tax rules. The $1.5 billion cost of that tax cut could help preserve programs that are facing destructive cuts.

“Instead, numerous polls have shown Californians embrace fair and responsible taxes on the wealthy and on corporations, including at minimum a restoration of the upper-income tax brackets that were implemented by Republican governors Ronald Reagan and Pete Wilson. Right now, an individual making $900,000 pays the same tax rate as someone making $50,000. Oil companies pay the same property tax rate as an elderly homeowner — and unlike Alaska and Texas, oil companies pay no tax on the oil they extract in California.

“Instead of these irresponsible cuts, our legislators must offer responsible and fair solutions that will solve our crisis — and refuse to back down from this position.

“We understand that California’s system of government presents impediments to these progressive solutions, such as the 2/3rds rule. But we do not accept that those obstacles are immovable.

“As President Barack Obama showed us, a campaign that offers hopeful empowerment can produce dramatic political change. It is time for California’s legislators to offer that to the people of this state by taking a stand against firing teachers and denying children health benefits to support tax breaks for the rich. It’s time to offer voters what they really want and make spending accountable and taxation equitable.

“We offer our support to those legislators who refuse to embrace the destruction of progressive California and instead will fight to implement the kind of responsible revenue solutions that Californians want.”