California democrats running out of ideas, vote to close park in republican district

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""The best way to keep our parks open is to get a budget deal," said Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield, a Woodland Hills Democrat."...

5/2/11, "Assemblyman says parks bill killed to 'punish Republicans'," Sacramento Bee, Capitol Alert

"The Assembly killed legislation Monday that would have encouraged the state to seek operating agreements with cities and counties in an attempt to keep the budget crisis

• from closing state parks.

Republican Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries characterized the 31-19 vote, 10 votes short of passage, as a "pure partisan drill" by Democrats against

• Republicans who seek budget solutions without tax hikes.

Jeffries, R-Lake Elsinore, said his Assembly Bill 64 initially proposed that the state parks department allow the city of Riverside to operate the California Citrus State Historic Park.

To win support from the Democrat-dominated Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee, Jeffries said he accepted amendments encouraging operating agreements to be sought

• from local governments statewide to minimize state park closures.

Jeffries said the bill was killed today because it was proposed by a Republican.

Democratic Assemblyman Jared Huffman of San Rafael, chairman of the parks and wildlife committee, received unanimous support by the panel for similar legislation encouraging cooperation with nonprofit groups

• to keep state parks open, Jeffries noted.

Forty-seven of 52 Democrats either opposed or abstained from voting Monday on Jeffries' AB 64, which was supported by Republicans.

""The best way to keep our parks open is to get a budget deal," said Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield, a Woodland Hills

• Democrat who chairs the Assembly Budget Committee...

Jeffries characterized the Democrats' message as "we either give them tax (increases) or they don't let stuff like this through

• that actually tries to help fix the budget problem.
  

"Nobody argued against the policy, this was a pure partisan drill to punish Republicans," Jeffries said."

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4/29/11, "Burton takes some heat for 'shooting' remark," Contra Costa Times, Steven Harmon

"Dem party chairman joked that Gov. Brown should shoot a Republican to get a vote on taxes"

"This week, Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, suggested targeting budget cuts in Republican districts, an idea that has floated around in Democratic circles for weeks and is being taken more seriously

• as the stalemate continues.

Democrats are considering cutting services such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, community colleges or parks in districts represented by Republicans, said Bob Blumenfield, D-Los Angeles, the chairman of the Assembly Budget committee.

"If we have to close down a community college, maybe do it in a district of

• folks who don't believe in government,"
  

Blumenfield said. "At some point, we have to look at everything.""...

via Free Republic, where a commenter suggested parks will be better off in their pristine state anyway.