In the annual game of budget chicken, Democrats should allow the state to reach a more desperate state of affairs if Republicans do not agree to raise taxes, Assemblyman Alberto Torrico said Tuesday.

Torrico, a Newark Democrat running for attorney general, suggested that Democrats have been too quick to negotiate with Republicans in the past.

"(Democrats) are unwilling to go past June 30th or July 15th or August 1st with a complete closure of state government," Torrico, left, said in a meeting with The Bee Capitol Bureau. "We are unwilling to do that, so we basically go in and negotiate with our hands behind our back."

"We should be willing to go and demonstrate to people there are consequences to not saying to corporations we are going to eliminate some loopholes," he added. "You know when people will care? When schools go back to session in August and when Democrats and Republicans hear from their constituents, from middle-class families in phone calls like this, 'Where's my son's bus?'"

Judging by the last two years, some of the first calls would more likely come from state workers. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger attempted in 2008 to temporarily pay state workers minimum wage to preserve cash - an effort that never came to pass due to court battles and Controller John Chiang's refusal. In 2009, the governor successfully implemented three furlough days a month using his emergency powers.

As we pointed out today, state leaders often don't get serious about negotiating a budget until the state faces the embarrassing prospect of not being able to pay its bills.

Schools and bondholders have first claim on the state's cash under the state constitution, so the state would be more likely to stiff local governments, state workers and college students who receive state aid in an initial shutdown scenario.

GOP Sen. George Runner called Torrico's remarks "nothing more than thinly-veiled talking points for his (and his party's) big-spending, liberal agenda, which has driven the state into a financial crisis."

"Torrico is fully aware that, year after year, Republicans have offered legislation to provide emergency funding to California's most disadvantaged citizens. And year after year, our proposals are swiftly rejected by the majority party members who would rather engage in fear-mongering and political grandstanding than help the people they profess to champion," he said in a statement.

Watch Torrico's remarks:

VIDEO: Alberto Torrico discusses the consequences of shutting down state government. By Hector Amezcua. Post updated at 3 p.m. with response from Runner.