Posted on 01/10/2008 12:41:52 PM PST by NormsRevenge
Confronting the biggest crisis of his political career, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today proposed slashing payments to schools by billions of dollars, releasing tens of thousands of "low risk" inmates from prison early, and closing a number of state parks as part of a plan to fill a gaping $14 billion hole in the state budget.
The proposal immediately triggered howls of protest from lawmakers across the political spectrum and among some of the most powerful interest groups in the Capitol. The governor said he hopes to start a debate among Californians about what services they want from state government and how to pay for them.
Among the proposals are calls to cut of about 10 percent of public education funding, release 22,000 prison inmates over a two-year span and shutter 48 state parks, nearly one in five.
The reductions would result in an overall 3 percent reduction in spending from the $145.5 billion budget that the Republican governor signed last summer.
The governor asked the Legislature to cut more than $4 billion from schools, according to a copy of the proposed cuts obtained in advance by The Associated Press. That would require lawmakers to suspend provisions of Proposition 98, the voter-approved initiative that guarantees a minimum funding level for schools.
The sweeping budget proposal is the governor's attempt to exorcize the budget "demons" that paved the demise of his predecessor, Democrat Gray Davis, and helped propel Schwarzenegger into office in the 2003 recall election. Schwarzenegger promised to fix the state's finances during that campaign, but after falling short repeatedly, he turned to more rewarding issues such the environment and health care.
But the housing downturn and softening economy has thrust the budget back to the fore. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
What a guy. You remember the one everyone voted for because he can win.
The problem is that the little cadres of bureaucrats have the power to decide who to fire and where the savings will come from. They will not let themselves be fired. They will accelerate retirements to get the high-salary tenured teachers out, then not replace them, and they will increase the ratio of students to teachers so more students will be in each class. They will buy fewer textbooks. They will turn off the heaters and air conditioners to the classrooms. They will eliminate custodians and librarians. They will close schools and bus students across town. But you can be certain that the top levels of administration at school districts will be unchanged. Quite possibly, they will hire additional high-level administrators to be in charge of implementing budget cuts.
Those are great ideas. Well done. I bet you don’t want to run for governor, though.
You are right. Cutting spending is the most practical move, but the unemployed “workers” will draw unemployment at least for the short term. We have to cut spending by 25% or more within the next year, or we will have to declare bankruptcy (this is a mere guess, though).
now you suggest selling them to the rich and famous in California?...thanks alot......
cut the teachers benefits...cut the "correction" officiers benefits......cut where there is the most waste....not parks that are the one type of state entity that serves ALL....
And Arnold hasn’t even implemented his revenue destroying global warming agenda. Time to put Tom McClintock in charge of the budget.
$14 bill deficit, $10 bill in services to illegals.
I've never understood "closing" a state park during a budget crunch. How about leaving it open yet unmanned?
I was thinking of privately-held parks such as Meteor Crater in Arizona. The revenues would go to the landowner to defray maintenance costs and they would not have to pay property taxes as long as the land was open to the public. I’m just trying to think creatively.
You are right (and I posted “too soon” earlier, for only your first few suggestions were to raise more revenue, whereas the rest were cuts).
:) Thanks FRiend.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.