Posted on 02/20/2008 11:58:35 AM PST by BurbankKarl
California's budget shortfall has swollen from $14.5 billion to $16 billion, according to the state's chief budget analyst, who calls on lawmakers to reject the governor's approach for closing the deficit through spending cuts alone and consider raising taxes.
Legislative Analyst Elizabeth G. Hill, whom lawmakers of both parties look to for advice on fiscal matters, says the depressed housing market and high energy prices will cause revenues to sag even more than the administration of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger projected last month.
The increase in the size of the deficit, detailed in a report Hill released this morning, essentially erases the emergency spending cuts lawmakers have made so far to bring the budget into balance. Those actions, approved by the Legislature and governor late last week, amounted to roughly $2 billion in service reductions targeted largely at school programs and health care for the poor.
In her report, Hill criticizes the governor's plan to balance the budget largely by making a 10% across-the-board cut to every government program as reflecting "little effort to prioritize and determine which state programs provide essential services or are most critical to California's future."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Ah yes, the democrats. 10% cut across the board is a no-no for them. Instead, they need more of your money.
The citizens of Colorado, Nevada and Arizona would like to thank CA Democrats for their contiued support in helping California employers relocate to the east.
Or overseas.
CA is killing itself.
They will keep doing this until the people of California finally allow them to raise their property taxes. This is what they really want. They want to break the people of the state and they know this is one way to do it.
Here is a perfect example of what a RINO Republican executive branch politician can do to a State or even the US.
Forewarned is prepared!
This can’t possibly be true, no Republican could ever be as bad as a Democrat. /s
Yeah, that’s the solution, raise more taxes. The demon-rats and RINOs in Sacramento are stuck on stupid.
1. Raise fees and taxes
2. No spending cuts
3. Spending increases for their friends
CA needs a 12 on the Richter scale.
Ahnold, too, promised Hope and Change
Great thinking. Instead of doing without my Starbuck’s lattes and vacations in the Bahamas, I’m just going to demand that my employer pay me more. Damned if I can do without everything I’ve been used to.
Wouldn’t work - Sacramento is on the Pacific plate - just result in valuable land sliding under the whorehouse.
Ah-nold has morphed into Gray Davis. He started out strong, proposing reforms to union benefits and other big ticket items. Then, the referendums fail under heavy union pressure, and he turns into another go-along to get-along Politician. WWRD? (what would Reagan do?)
Good luck out there.
I don’t think any President or Governor can do this without the support of the legislature.
baahhh.. only 2 billion more,, pigeon feed.. jaaaa!
Good work, Arnie! I knew you could do it!
Seems to me there's way too much in the budget anyway.
I bet you most self sufficient employed conservatives that live in CA would go ballistic if the entire CA state budget was ever published.
Pretty simple...when beef ribeyes are not on sale, I don't buy them to grill out unless I pick up on some unexpected cash / income.
California Legislative Analyst’s Office
http://www.lao.ca.gov/
Analysis of the 2008-09 Budget Bill
Table of Contents http://www.lao.ca.gov/laoapp/Analysis.aspx?year=2008&chap=0&toc=0
Thanks Arnold. You’re a credit to conservatism and good government.
</sarcasm>
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