Assemblyman Leonard is a senior member of the Assembly ... he was in the Assembly in the 80s, was in the State Senate for 8 years, and then went back to the Assembly. I wouldn't call him "new" or "inexperienced". In fact, he has more experience than virtually any other member in the Legislature in dealing with budgets!
This is just Davis-spin because he is up the creek without a paddle, and he's trying to figure out how much smoke he can blow to conceal his failures.
DUMP DAVIS
As I recall, during last year's electricity crunch Governor Davis made numerous predictions, all of which were promptly proven wrong. I doubt he's gotten any better at that skill, so we can safely assume that this budget will definitely not be passed on time.
Like this:
I would really like to see an article with a few of the proposals that exist - "Cut the schools by 25% and make the teachers' unions want to kill Davis", etc.
Where did Davis' idea that he was expanding spending on things that could be easily contracted go? For instance, he put a lot into the roads, maybe he can pull that back during this desperate emergency. Of course now we have a proposition that forbids that, so never mind.
What would you do if you were Davis? He certainly seems to be in an unthinkable mess that voters will find hard to forgive if it's presented to them with any flair.
Seems to me that Simon's a lot better off than the pessimists think - although I agree with Dog Gone that he faces a very tough challenge if elected.
D
Then during the weekend of 13/14 May he and his henchmen will wear those hats while dropping off their worthless budget and urge the legislature to approve it as the first item on Monday, 15 May.
With his "Trust me, I'm your governor hat" on, he will say to the legislators, "Just trust me and sign this great budget! No new taxes and no tax cuts!" "You don't to read this, trust me!"
We sent in our Kali income taxes over 5 weeks ago. We are do to a refund, and we have not seen it nor do I expect it anytime soon. Apparently more people are eligible for refunds, the state is broke and so guess what is happening to our refunds checks. Of course they may check your address with the voting people, and if you are a repubie, your refund check will just set there.
The last time this happened was 10 years ago when Willie Brown and Burton came close to bankrupting California inspite of Pete Wilson wearing out his veto pen.
The state is unlikely to pass a new budget by the June 30 deadline, which could jeopardize the delivery of social services and worsen Sacramento's already dismal financial picture, two Inland Valley assemblymen said Tuesday.
However, Leonard, R-San Bernardino, said the state's precarious fiscal situation -- and a deficit projection twice shattered since first Davis pegged it at $12.5 billion -- will make it difficult for the Assembly and Senate to agree on a budget in just six weeks.
"My projection is that we're not going to make the June deadline," Pacheco said. "Quite frankly, I don't know when we'll have a budget."
....If a balanced budget fails to pass by June 30, state agencies could lose funding until one does.
Failure to pass a budget by the deadline would not trigger an immediate shutdown. However, agencies might lose the ability to purchase supplies, or shut down altogether -- as happened in 1983 when the budget passed three weeks late, Leonard said.
Pacheco, who sits on the budget subcommittee dealing with health care, said funds for such programs could be cut off if a budget impasse were to last deep into July.
I'll bet right now folks are trying to figure out how to make the Republicans seem like they will be the people responsible for shuting down the California government by not joining Democrats in passing the budget.
I would suggest to Republicans that before the vote and before Davis Budget that they come up with a "Contract for the future," that lays out the conditions on which the party will endorse voting for the budget. Then make sure that the republicans stand firm in an election year.
Sounds good to me.
